Directed by: Paul Feig
Runtime: 117 minutes
Sometimes you excuse a film because of what it ‘sets out to achieve’. For example, while a lot of films try to collect a variety of awards, we wouldn’t expect the makers of Sharknado 6 to be expecting any reviews heralding its production (well, at least, I hope not). When going to see A Simple Favour, I had no idea what to expect. The trailers made it look like a Gone Girl-esque mystery thriller with some likeable leads, while the director’s previous credits allowed me to believe that this could be some sort of dark comedy. Paul Feig is well known for his female-led comedic films, with Bridesmaids, The Heat, and Spy all presenting fun-filled popcorn-movie experiences with some clever moments. Not quite a thriller, and not quite a comedy, A Simple Favour is a difficult film to describe and, to be honest, I’m not sure what it sets out to achieve.
The film’s premise revolves around the disappearance of the mysterious Emily (Blake Lively), a ‘badass mom’ who befriends the squeaky clean Stephanie Smothers (Anna Kendrick). Both ladies form a bond as they swap secrets over martinis, but after Emily asks Stephanie for a ‘simple favour’, she disappears without a trace. We begin to realise that Emily had a few more secrets to spill, as Stephanie begins to unravel the mystery of her friend’s past. I will say, I had no idea where the plot was heading from one scene to the next—the film begins to balance some expected beats of the story with pure ridiculousness. We see a variety of relationships with siblings, a strange summer camp, and a web of lies so convoluted it is difficult to know who to like.
In a film that stars two very likeable actresses, this disconnect is hard to rectify. I spent the film liking Blake Lively, but hating how her character was written. That isn’t to say that this is purely the film’s fault; I feel like most issues I have with this film stem from the novel it is based on. Anna Kendrick’s ‘adorkability’ becomes quite jarring when mixed with the subject matter she is given, making me wonder if her character was going to ‘snap’ at any moment. I found myself wanting to see the actresses succeed more than I did their characters—I spent a large proportion of the climax hoping that something would click and I could get behind one of them. Unfortunately, both women are written so egregiously that I came out with mild annoyance and confusion.
I would sum up the film as an adaptation of a terrible novel by people far too talented to make the subject matter worthwhile. There were glimpses of Feig’s comedic chops through the melodramatic mystery elements, and I do believe that the talent behind this film did try to give the subject matter a spin of parody. However, I would liken the film’s ‘winks to the camera’ to those people who started saying “YOLO” ironically, only for it to become a part of their regular vocabulary. I could see this film was made with a purpose, but I am not quite sure what the exact purpose of it was. Far from a feel-good comedy, or a gripping thriller, A Simple Favour juggles too many genres and ends up dropping quite a few balls.
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