A Simple Favour
02/10/18 Filed in: Cinema
Stephanie is a young widow who keeps herself busy with a vlog and volunteers for everything at her son's school. Played by Anna Kendrick, Stephanie is the epitome of innocence. Until, that is, the day she meets Emily, whose son also attends the school. Blake Lively's Emily is everything that Anna isn't, plus some. But despite their differences, they become friends, or at least Anna does, exchanging some very personal secrets.
Emily one day asks Anna if she would mind picking up her son, Nicky, from school, which of course she's pleased to do. But Emily doesn't turn up to collect him. In fact Emily is not contactable, and Anna sets about trying to find out what's happened to her, using her vlog to garner support. Naturally she is helped by Emily's husband, Sean, who at first is not unduly worried by Emily's temporary disappearance, it having happened before. But as timer passes he becomes more concerned, while becoming perhaps too close to Anna. Far too close!
According to her employer, Emily was supposed to be going to Miami. But thanks to a follower of Anna's vlog, she discovers that Emily was sighted in Michigan. When her hire car is dragged from a lake, and a body recovered, it seems that their worst fears have been realised. But despite a positive identification, including a DNA match, Emily's son Nicky subsequently says that he saw his mum outside the school. Further 'back from the dead' occurrences cause Anna to begin an investigation into Emily's past.
As Anna digs deeper and deeper into things, we see her transforming from ingénue into a hard-nosed investigator, and as the mystery unfolds she becomes more than a match for the worldly-wise Emily. There are many surprises along the way, and quite a bit of humour, albeit of the mainly dark variety.
This is an enjoyable film, with two female leads, a trend that is rightly becoming more common these days. Both actors fit their respective roles splendidly.
One other fascinating thing is that much of the soundtrack features French songs, sung by artists including François Hardy, Brigitte Bardot, Serge Gainsbourg, and France Gall.
As Anna digs deeper and deeper into things, we see her transforming from ingénue into a hard-nosed investigator, and as the mystery unfolds she becomes more than a match for the worldly-wise Emily. There are many surprises along the way, and quite a bit of humour, albeit of the mainly dark variety.
This is an enjoyable film, with two female leads, a trend that is rightly becoming more common these days. Both actors fit their respective roles splendidly.
One other fascinating thing is that much of the soundtrack features French songs, sung by artists including François Hardy, Brigitte Bardot, Serge Gainsbourg, and France Gall.