And I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen Blake Lively this good, or the last time I’ve seen her have this much fun in a role. Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are electric.

It’s the way Kendrick and Lively dive into their characters.

There were a couple of moments where I was legitimately creeped out and wondering if this was going to take a darker turn than even I anticipated. ( Log Out /  The script, penned by Jessica Shrazer, based on Darvey Bell's novel, puts Lively and Kendrick in a different vehicle playing best friends (more so acquaintances with the title) Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson. Get ready to ride sky high on the SkyStar Observation Wheel, Bay Area TV Sports: What to watch this weekend, Preview: First 3 hours set tone for ‘Immortals Fenyx Rising’. He plays the part of a man bewitched by Lively while simultaneously being the mastermind of his own demise, brilliantly.

Both of these characters are fleshed out in a way that could have easily been overlooked by a lesser filmmaker.

Having a mixed couple, Asian lead, and almost all women cast, they did alright. I am a movie nerd. And we already know, from “Crazy Rich Asians,” Golding is good at playing the hot guy in a movie full of determined women.

You get sucked into the drama of A Simple Favor.

Kendrick’s fidgety energy and sharp comedic timing are perfect for this character, and it’s hard to picture this film working as well with someone else in the lead. Spy is his take on the action-spy movie, and The Heat does the same thing for the buddy-cop movie.

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Thematically, the film sits comfortably between bizarre psychothriller, biting suburban satire, and an earnest story about the complexities of female friendship. does the same thing for the buddy-cop movie. A Simple Favor is the dark comedy nobody was expecting. The sets and costumes are incredible and there’s a consistent parade of vintage French pop songs that add to the mood in an effective way. Let me say, you never fully trust any of these characters. He’s a bit soft, but knows what he wants — he may get kicked down but really rolls with the punches. “A Simple Favor” thrives when it embraces that humor. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account.

Stephanie takes it upon herself to put the pieces of Emily’s enigmatic personality together, to get to the bottom of her relationship with her husband Sean (. The movie is hilarious. International food days, bake sales, crafts, you name it.


You can tell that screenplay writer Jessica Sharzer likes literature because the back and forth banter between Sean and Stephanie quoting certain text was carefully and expertly placed throughout the film. At a recent preview screening, some audience members reacted audibly when Stephanie refers to Emily as her “best friend,” given the two have just met.

Feig is responsible for all the good Melissa McCarthy movies from the last few years. This is his take on a neo-noir psychological thriller and the story is taken seriously to a degree but is the most fun when it goes completely off the rails. Emily is the absolute opposite – she’s the sharp around the edges, effortlessly glamorous, unpredictable one that the other parents at the school whisper about in hushed tones. Her character’s vociferous, unpredictable personality pairs well with Lively, and her jaunty way with an insult. It becomes clear that Feig and co. know how to turn the trashy airport novel into something that’s an absolute hoot to watch. From the trailer you would think, this movie is a Single White Female meets Gone Girl type of missing/kidnapping murder mystery and who knows who did it.

His partners in crime, Stacy, played by Kelly McCormack (Killjoys), and Sona, played by Aparna Nancherla (most recently the voice of Hollyhock in BoJack Horseman), together make the BEST Greek chorus for this film.

Feig is a director that consistently has fun with genre, and genre expectations.

The fact that you don’t know who’s telling the truth about what is what makes this movie so unpredictable and fun.

Then one day, Emily never returns home. Hats off to the stage moms of those two boys.

He holds a degree in Journalism and Communications, and currently works in the media field. It’s a sharp, ice-cold, hilarious black comedy about female friendship that goes down as smoothly as a gin martini with a twist.

The biggest problem with "A Simple Favor" lies in one of balance: Feig cannot seem to quite decide how self-aware the movie is.

The sets and costumes are incredible and there’s a consistent parade of vintage French pop songs that add to the mood in an effective way.

The film just tickles you as you try to guess what anyone’s intentions are as the question of what happened to Emily unfolds.
The trailers sell it as “from the darker side of Paul Feig,” but don’t let that fool you. Nicky is just as strong willed and gives no F$%ks like his mother, cursing up a storm. The film is set to star A-listers Blake Lively (The Age of Adaline) and Anna Kendrick (Pitch Perfect) in the leads.Lively will take on the role of Emily, who seems to have it all.

Stephanie is perky, sweet, organized, and a little grating. A Simple Favor is a 2018 American comedy crime thriller film directed by Paul Feig from a screenplay by Jessica Sharzer, based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Darcey Bell. As the cheeky Emily, the star of such recent thrillers as “All I See Is You” and “The Shallows” finally gets the chance to be funny. This movie is even more than that — it is legit Gone Girl if Gone Girl had hilarious characters to follow.

Wait until you see Anna Kendrick singing along perfectly to Ante Up by M.O.P.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and Google+? But their romantic interactions feel forced.

One thing I absolutely love about this movie is that you never know who to trust. They are a classic odd couple but it works and it is mesmerizing. “A Simple Favor” thrives when it embraces that humor. Considering, in pure Hitchcock fashion, the film is equipped with its fair share of twists and turns, it struggles to feel complete. A good chunk of those ideas do land their mark, except Feig doesn't care if it throws us off balance in the process. One thing I absolutely love about this movie is that you never know who to trust. Others groaned when Stephanie and Sean declare their love for each other, mere weeks after Emily is out of the picture.

Some of the best parts are the fellow parents that watch the events unfold with the best commentary.

She’s giving tips to mothers on cooking, crafts, and other family fun activities. In typical comedy fashion, Stephanie’s enthusiasm grates on the other parents and causes her to be an outcast in the parent circle. On paper, each actor seems well cast: Kendrick’s chirpiness and wry sense of humor suit her character, who turns out to be craftier than her crafting videos let on.

Secrets and skeletons in the closet unspool in an obsessively unique fashion, proving (if it already wasn't established) that Feig can be versatile. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. The witty thriller, an adaptation of Darcey Bell’s 2017 beach read, follows glam fashion publicist Emily (Blake Lively) and widowed parenting vlogger Stephanie (Anna Kendrick), two opposites in small-town Connecticut who become fast friends as they spend their young sons’ play dates boozing and discussing their past misdeeds. Not to mention it is based on a novel by Darcey Bell. We begin with Stephanie Smothers played by Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) filming one of her vlogs.