PROVOKR PICK
A Simple Favor, Simply Delicious
Paul Feig is best known for directing outrageous comedies with female leads. From Bridesmaids and Spy to The Heat and Ghostbusters, Feig has developed a reputation as one of the few powerful men in Hollywood who actually understands women and creates believable female characters. His latest film is something of a departure for the esteemed funnyman, though it’s still sure to delight and surprise audiences.
Based on the book by Darcey Bell, A Simple Favor stars Anna Kendrick as Stephanie, a naive young internet blogger who becomes infatuated with a vivacious and vampish housewife, Emily, played by Blake Lively. After Emily disappears without a trace, Stephanie finds herself involved in a pulse-pounding investigation into Emily’s secret life, replete with surprises, sex, violence, revenge, and high-tension thrills.
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are two of the most gorgeous and talented actors in Hollywood; Kendrick has done a great job of balancing key roles in dramas like Up in the Air, Cake, and End of Watch with charming crowd-pleasers like Pitch Perfect, Into the Woods, and Twilight. Meanwhile, Lively is best known for her generation-defining role in the cult TV series, Gossip Girl, as well as movies like Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Town, and Savages, the underrated Oliver Stone joint.
On the surface, A Simple Favor seems to have echoes of movies like Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train, but director Paul Feig has imbued the film with shades of his comic prowess, leading to the film being an unexpected black comedy. It’s not an improv-laden laugh fest like Bridesmaids, but early reviews are calling the film a tightly scripted thirller/comedy, a rare mix which is increasingly rare in today’s cinematic climate (though it should be noted that Shane Black‘s The Predator, which also opens this week, is unflinchingly hilarious despite the title character’s signature spine-ripping, R-rated sensibilities). The comparisons to the likes of Gone Girl are not unfounded, but A Simple Favor is a whole different beast from those films. As a mystery thriller, we’d be cruel to spoil any of its surprises, but it’s a sure bet that there are plenty of surprises in this unpredictably delightful female film noir adventure.
A Simple Favor is in theaters now.
