![]() ![]() But the movie never achieves that tingly, naughty blend of humor and danger it seems to be aiming for one wonders what Francois Ozon or Pedro Almodovar might have done with this material. ![]() A Simple Favor also tosses around a worthwhile idea or two about contemporary female identity - how women are pigeonholed into roles that stifle their complexity. ![]() The director does keep things looking sharp (DP John Schwartzman fills his frames with light and color, a purposeful, if not wildly original, visual counterpoint to the the narrative nastiness) and sounding chic (lots of vintage French pop). Most striking is the film’s failure to make Stephanie’s transition from goofy goody-two-shoes to bold badass much fun - an indication of Feig’s difficulty weaving the comedic and noir elements into a satisfying whole. Lots happens from that point on - there’s a corpse in a lake, a creepy Christian sleepaway camp, Jean Smart in full crazy-lady drag and a pile-up of double-crosses - but a nagging sense of “so what?” lingers despite the considerable craft behind and in front of the camera. 'Crazy Rich Asians' Star Henry Golding Attends His First Tom Ford Fashion Show We know the friendship is a sham, but we want to see more. Emily is amused by Stephanie, and turned on by the power she has over her, while Stephanie is just tickled this rebel goddess is giving her the time of day. The actresses make a fun odd couple, Lively’s casual hauteur bringing out Kendrick’s well-honed screwball fidgetiness. These scenes are the most compelling, and not just because of the shivery Sapphic subtext that, with a single kiss, Feig cheekily turns into text. Or, rather, Emily expertly extracts Stephanie’s big secret (and it’s a doozy), softening her voice and narrowing her eyes in a masterful simulation of sincerity you get why the prey stumbles right into the predator’s trap. The two women start hanging out regularly at Emily’s sleek modern mansion, downing martinis and swapping secrets. (One of the film’s truest - if hardly earth-shattering - insights is that the allure of the Cool Girl is eternal high-school social dynamics survive long after high school is over.) When she invites Stephanie over for a drink one afternoon, Stephanie practically trips over herself. Movies and TV series have gone there, again and again, from Desperate Housewives to Big Little Lies, Bad Moms and far beyond.Įmily (Lively), whose son Nicky (Ian Ho) is in Miles’ class, is Stephanie’s opposite: a glamorous career woman - she has a fashion job in Manhattan - with a dashing husband, Sean ( Henry Golding, deploying his suavity to less potent effect than in Crazy Rich Asians), and a parenting style that could charitably be described as minimalist. Yet despite some giggles and delicious touches (Rupert Friend as a bitchy designer? Yes, please, and thank you), the tongue-in-cheek tone and satirical targets feel tired: Something-rotten-in-the-state-of-suburban-Mommyhood themes have at this point been unpacked ad nauseum, and dysfunction-lurking-beneath-carefully-curated-lives narratives all but exhausted. Adapted by Jessica Sharzer ( Nerve) from Darcey Bell’s 2017 novel, A Simple Favor pulls from a plethora of sources - Gone Girl, Rebecca, Gaslight, Double Indemnity, Diabolique - some of which the screenplay literally name-checks it’s less homage or even pastiche than a bargain-basement mash-up of various superior inspirations.įeig works hard, for the first 40 minutes or so, to put his imprint on it all, an effort bolstered by Kendrick’s reliably excellent timing as a perky Connecticut helicopter mother who befriends Lively’s gorgeous mean-girl mom. The mystery isn’t how or why one of the main characters disappears halfway through it’s what drew Feig to the project to begin with.īut the movie never sheds its aura of talented people trying to class up cheap material. But the result leaves you scratching your head. A twisted tale of toxic female friendship, the film offers its share of pleasures: eye candy in human, sartorial and real-estate form, as well as the unmistakable flair of a director and performers who know their way around a piece of pop entertainment. After helping redefine what funny women could look like, sound like and do onscreen, Paul Feig takes a left turn with the seductively mounted but underwhelming neo-noir-comedy A Simple Favor. ![]()
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