A Simple Favour (2018)

Review

117min

Genre:       Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery

Director:    Paul Feig

Cast:         Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding…and more

Writers:     Jessica Sharzer and Darcey Bell

-Synopsis-

When her elegant, high-flying new friend asks for a favour and then mysteriously disappears, a young suburban single mother becomes obsessed with finding out the truth, only to be unexpectedly pulled into a dark web of crime and deceit—as comedy hitmaker Paul Feig shows us his dark side and adapts Darcey Bell’s debut novel.

Nobody could’ve predicted twenty-five years ago that a quirky jobbing young actor would become one of the premiere comedy directors and producers working in Hollywood today, but Feig has certainly captured the imagination of certain audiences and put women centre-stage with crowd favourites like ‘Bridesmaids’ and ‘Spy’. Now the impeccably dressed filmmaker tries his hand at drama in signature style, applying his comedic sensibilities to the popular source novel and giving us his take on crime mystery and human drama—and the result is his finest and most substantial film to date.

Anna Kendrick stars as the chirpy and awkward ‘Stephanie’, a hyper attentive, ultra organised single mother and mom blogger with a bright demeanour but some inner demons, whose life takes a turn when she befriends fellow local suburban Connecticut mom ‘Emily’ (Blake Lively), an enigmatic and sophisticated, high-flying, no nonsense fashion professional with a blunt personality and a deep dark past.  When Emily asks her for babysitter cover and then disappears without a trace, Stephanie become drawn into the life of her vanished friend and her husband ‘Sean’ (Henry Golding), struggling to unravel a sinister mystery before she becomes an unwitting pawn.

Firstly, if you’re a fan of the novel or one of those who ‘takes ownership’ of the literature and pop culture they enjoy, prepare to be disappointed. ‘A Simple Favour’ often diverges from the novel in terms of character and narrative, presenting a lighter more fun tone and less of a tense psychological thriller and dysfunctional tale of friendship. But just remember, what works on the page doesn’t always light up the screen, and Feig’s comedic flourishes probably save this from being another forgettable film adaptation of a literary thriller.

Whilst not a laugh-a-minute riotous comedy in the traditional sense, ‘A Simple Favour’ is certainly a non traditional one, or rather a comedic treatment of a deceptive mystery thriller, and a story about superficially held together but internally broken people . . . with plenty of deep dark secrets.

Feig’s comedic fingerprints are all over the film, featuring quirky behaviour and socially awkward situations galore, but most importantly sharp, colourful and brazen but honest dialogue, often in inappropriate situations. But this is also very much a mystery and a character piece, with the director adding a level of style befitting the film’s fashion theme, and adopting a clean, almost sterile aesthetic to complement its look—not to mention randomly adding cool points with a hip soundtrack of catchy French pop tunes and cover songs.

‘A Simple Favour’ is also very much a film of its time, and a clear proponent of ‘ladies first’, and when it comes to putting a female-led story on the screen, you could hardly be in better hands than Paul Feig’s. There’s a clear thread of sisterhood and female empowerment running through the narrative, but it also subverts these somewhat by depicting a highly dysfunctional friendship . . . which turns into something else entirely.

That very (weird) friendship—a unique take on ‘opposites attract’ where brash, worldly enigma meets unassuming honest cherub—is brought to life by the film’s two stars, with Anna Kendrick letting loose her quirky and endearing, passive aggressive charms as the everywoman hero of the piece, while Blake Lively shines as the manipulative but seductive and alluring antagonist. Meanwhile British-Malaysian BBC travel presenter-turned-Hollywood star Henry Golding solidifies his breakout year, with his second hit UK cinema release in a week.

For all its merits though, ‘A Simple Favour’ is far from a modern masterpiece, featuring all too convenient plot turns while lacking the thrills and genuine tension of the novel, or the gritty atmosphere and narrative finesse of something like ‘Gone Girl’, or the many other films (and books) which clearly inspired it . . . and likely influenced Bell’s source novel.

Yet there’s enough intrigue and energy here to keep you engaged throughout, and more than enough humour and character to keep you entertained and delighted from start to finish, making ‘A Simple Favour’ arguably Feig’s finest film to date, and undoubtedly his most substantial . . . although we’re not quite ready for a Paul Feig straight-up drama just yet.

The Bottom Line…

Paul Feig continues his form of doing right by women on the big screen, changing gears and taking it up a notch but maintaining a delightful level of signature humour and formidable characters, creating a stylish and deceptive mystery/thriller and an unconventional tale of friendship for broken people, anchored by two shining stars—who deliver his most layered and memorable film to date.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Gone Girl (2014)

When his wife goes missing and is presumed dead, and he’s the prime suspect, a big city writer turned small town bar owner’s life is turned upside down by the national media frenzy, as he struggles to unravel the mystery of her fate—but things are not as they seem in this adaptation of the Gillian Flynn novel from master director David Fincher.

Directed by David Fincher and starring Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike and Carrie Coon among others.

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