Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Director: Paul Feig, Roadshow Entertainment.
Cast: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding.
It’s true we live in a time “when attention is the new currency”. Whether you are on social media or not, conversations are ongoing. Outlets are aplenty, but it’s how you utilise the format that makes for responsible performance.
Experienced bloggers offer sound advice about there being no guarantees of instant success, but “with time, energy and determination you can get there”. It is one way of telling the world about your opinions, but it should be done conscientiously.
Subject matter can vary, as witnessed by Stephanie’s predicament in A Simple Favour. A single mother and mommy blogger, Stephanie (Kendrick, The Accountant) seeks to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of her best friend Emily (Lively, The Shallows). Emily has suddenly vanished from their small town and her husband, Sean (Golding, Crazy Rich Asians) joins Stephanie in the search.
The story has a subtle harmonising plotline, where uncharacteristically, humour plays a balancing act. While the suspense is intact, banter is considerate. It’s perceptive about the ‘head games’ played between women without attaching a purposeful label.
The adult-targeted ‘suburban noir comedy’ is based on a novel by Darcy Bell. It’s brimming with vengeance, deception, murder, cloak-and-dagger, discoveries, love and faithfulness.
The stylistic sequence of credits, with flashbacks to comedy and spy escapades of the ‘60s, and music to match, is a nifty bit of work by David Clayton. There’s something distinctive to appreciate (on Blu-ray) about this “delicious adult thriller” from director Feig (Bridesmaids, Spy, The Heat).
