Movie Review - A Simple Favor

A Simple Favor **** (out of 5) (R) I don’t know how much of the credit for this sneakily outstanding script goes to the novelist (Darcey Bell) or the adapter (Jessica Sharzer), but the two combined to craft something special. The result is a clever suspense dramedy that keeps getting more intricate and layered as it progresses under the deft guidance of director Paul Feig.

Anna Kendrick stars as a naive suburban supermom with a vlog on helpful household hints. She begins an unlikely friendship with Blake Lively’s character, a super-chic, self-absorbed career gal, who seems to have it all... with the exception of time for her young son, who is a classmate and new best buddy of Kendrick’s. The boys’ bond becomes the basis for the moms’, as Lively starts giving Kendrick new perspectives and self-confidence over martinis in her stunning modern home. It’s like Holly Hobby hanging out with today’s equivalent of Helen Gurley Brown. No offense to either.

The titular favor is Lively asking Kendrick to pick up her son from school. What seemed like a normal request for a few hours of coverage turns into a mystery, since Lively never shows up to reclaim her boy. That starts Kendrick and others on a quest for finding her, or what happened to her, far beyond previous efforts devoted to Waldo, Matt Lauer or Carmen San Diego. The less I write beyond that, the more you’ll enjoy the ensuing developments, including the evolution of Kendrick’s character. Similarly, try to avoid hearing details about the story from those who get there first, because much of the pleasure comes from the twists and turns. It’s not akin to The Crying Game or Sixth Sense, with their single big reveals. But what starts like a garden-variety satire on the culture of affluent suburban families evolves into a genre-spanning gem, with superb performances by Kendrick and Lively.

Trust me. You want to see this one.
(9/14/18)