In this new thriller, Mommy blogger Stephanie (Anna Kendrick) becomes an unlikely friend to the mysterious Emily (Blake Lively), and offers to pick up her son for a play date after school. It's a simple favor that becomes a complicated problem when Emily goes missing. Oh yeah, it's also a comedy.
Paul Feig (Bridesmaids) directs this mystery with a balance of humor and suspense, which is often a deadly formula. For most of the film, all this works; Kendrick and Lively kill each line. When they are on screen together, Kendrick puts a perfectly punctuated spark in each word of dialogue and Lively bounces back at her with either a well-timed snap or a curious inflection that adds fire to the mystery.
It's not a perfect film. Halfway through, the plot gets as ridiculous as Lively's sexpot business outfits, but this duo was perfectly cast. Sandra Bullock and Cate Blanchett couldn't pull off this light touch in Ocean's 8 earlier this year. With Ocean's, I think we all suspected the actresses were above the absurd material and wasting their time. This cast, including Henry Goldman, is perfectly cast for a good time. A Simple Favor simply delivers on that raunchy fun, popcorn thriller we've been waiting for.
In a nutshell: Forgettable but fun. Kendrick and Lively are to die for.
Award potential: None.
The ten buck review: Worth ten bucks.
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