Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick star in A Simple Favour. For TimeOut.
Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively combine well in this stylish comedy-thriller. It remains captivating enough despite never entirely cohering.
Kendrick leads as Stephanie, a widowed, suburban single mum who posts instructional "mummy" videos on a YouTube-esque site. The story coyly teases impending twists from the get-go and Kendrick is as
appealing as always, justifying the film's use of her mummy vlogs as a narrative outlet.
When her young son makes a new friend at school, the boy's mother, Emily (Lively), enters Stephanie's life. She enlivens it, introducing her to day-drinking, a nice house, and a devastating wardrobe. Stephanie is awed by the glamorous and enigmatic Emily, who works in New York high fashion, and the pair quickly develops a confessional friendship.
When Emily invokes the title of the film, the plot turns begin unveiling themselves.
Just as Kendrick is perfectly suited to her character's wide-eyed, enthusiastic innocence, Lively is highly convincing as the biting and unflappable Emily, a neo-femme fatale in a pinstripe suit. The bountiful chemistry between the two actors buoys the film when the plot falls short, as it occasionally does.
