A Simple Favor: Complex Comedy/Thriller!

There wasn't any movie I was especially eager to see this weekend, but I never miss the chance to see a Blake (Beyond Beautiful) Lively movie, so off Rob and I went to see "A Simple Favor."  The film is adapted from the novel of the same name written by Darcey Bell.  The Director, Paul Feig, has gotten terrific performances from Anna Kendrick and Lively.  The movie is basically a mystery/thriller, but it's the funniest film I've seen in 2018.  Robin and I both had a great time.  It's fluff, but really well done.  Anna Kendrick's performance is AAW since she's a fabulous comedienne, but she also does a great job with the dramatic parts of her role. Stephanie Smothers (Kendrick) is a single mom.  She's sweet, smart, eager-to-please, but somewhat of a nerd.  Stephanie's son wants to have a play-date with his school friend, who just happens to be Emily Nelson (Lively)'s son.  Emily invites Stephanie to her house for a drink while the boys play.  Emily is gorgeous, perceptive, sophisticated, and elusive.  She has a high-powered NYC job, an "Architectural Digest" type home, and a handsome novelist husband.  Not all is perfect, however, in Emily's seemingly-dream life. A brief time after they meet and become friends, Emily asks Stephanie to pick up her son from school, but then mysteriously disappears.  What has happened to Emily?  All kinds of twists and turns occur from there, many of them hilarious.  Kendrick shows she can really act, doing both comedy and drama with equal ease.  Lively does a fine job too, and they have great chemistry together, but it's Kendrick's film. If you are in the mood for an entertaining, funny mystery/thriller, I'd check this one out.  You'll be doing yourself a favor!