A Simple Favor

Director Paul Feig’s latest film is a jet-black comedy/thriller, which combines enthralling mystery elements, a dark sense of humour, and two standout performances from Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively.

Premise: When friendless, over-achieving single mum Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) meets the enigmatic and free-spirited working mum Emily (Blake Lively) at school, she thinks she’s found a new best friend.  But when Emily mysteriously disappears and Stephanie begins to investigate, she starts to wonder if she ever knew Emily at all…

Review:

Director Paul Feig is best known for his raucous, female-led comedies (such as Bridesmaids, The Heat and Spy), and so when this movie was first announced (and not having read the novel on which it is based), I thought A Simple Favor was also going to be another larger-than-life comedy.  However, the first trailer quickly disabused me of that notion, as it made it clear that this was going to be something else entirely.

A Simple Favor is a mystery thriller, with a lot of superficial similarities to David Fincher’s Gone Girl.  But although Paul Feig doesn’t shy away from some of the darker elements of this story (and there are some pretty dark elements), he also brings a surprising lightness and playfulness to the proceedings.  Just as the foreboding and ominous tone of Gone Girl left you in no doubt that it was a David Fincher film, the style, elegance and mischievousness of A Simple Favor has Paul Feig’s name written all over it.

“…a black comedy with nods to film noir…”

The tone of the film changes wildly from moment to moment, which may put some viewers off, but personally I loved it, as it keeps wrong-footing the audience as the events unfold.  At times it’s almost a straight-up, laugh-out-loud comedy about schoolyard mummy politics, but then conversations will take a dark and unexpected turn, and all of a sudden the scene takes on a completely different feel.  But running through everything is a black-as-night streak of dark humour, which makes this film more of a black comedy with nods to film noir, rather than an out-and-out thriller.  That said, this certainly isn’t a comedy in the traditional sense, and when he wants to, Paul Feig really knows how to turn up the tension and sense of unease as the very engaging mystery unfolds.

If Paul Feig is the secret weapon behind the camera, onscreen the film is carried by two amazing performances from Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively.  Both are actresses that I have a lot of respect for, but I think these roles are arguably among their best performances yet.  Anna Kendrick plays Stephanie, a super-sweet stay-at-home mum who films a vlog in her kitchen full of “mummy tips” for making things like friendship bracelets and healthy courgette cookies.  Kendrick, who always brings depth to her roles, plays the ever-smiling surface layer of Stephanie perfectly, while also hinting at the sadness – and secrets – bubbling away underneath.

“…you’ll find yourself questioning everything you think you know about every main character…”

Blake Lively meanwhile has the perhaps harder task of making the glamorous and enigmatic Emily feel like a real character, but without really giving anything away about her.  Lively captures the effervescence of Emily’s spirit, making an instant impact in her first couple of scenes saying totally inappropriate things that the audience, and Stephanie, can’t help but be won over by.  Emily’s a breath of fresh air, giving voice to all the things Stephanie wishes she could be, and you can see why Stephanie falls under her spell.  But perhaps just as importantly, Lively’s performance means that you can see that Emily has genuine affection for Stephanie … or at least you think she does.  This is, after all, one of those films where at one point or another you’ll find yourself questioning everything you think you know about every main character.

There are some great supporting performances, including Henry Golding as Emily’s husband and Bashir Salahuddin as the detective looking into Emily’s disappearance, as well as a couple of impressive cameos from the likes of Jean Smart, Linda Cardellini and Rupert Friend – but make no mistake, it’s Kendrick and Lively that are the beating hearts of this film.

Ultimately, this may not be to everyone’s taste, as the film is neither a deadly serious thriller, nor a comedy romp.  Instead, it’s a glorious hybrid of the two – a dark and twisty mystery with a strong vein of black comedy that keeps you laughing while on the edge of your seat.  Balancing the laughs and the chills in a film like this is not easy, but hats off to Paul Feig for managing it.