A Simple Favor, or the Power of Trash
(WARNING: This review will contain spoilers. I also am bound to like any film with Blake Lively wearing multiple suits, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.)
"You don't want to be friends with me. Trust me."
- Emily
A Simple Favor is a weird one. It was marketed as a straightforward thriller, it could be that. It could also be a dark comedy. Or maybe even a parody. But if I were to be fully honest, I'd say that I don't know what the fuck it is, which is probably the best thing it could be. I've never seen anything like it. Except... If I really think about it, I kind of have.
Have you guys ever watched these "true crime reconstitution" shows that only get broadcasted at 3am on channels no one really watches in the first place? The story makes no sense, no attempt to say it's a true story could make it sound realistic, and yet you find yourself strangely attracted by everything you're seeing. A Simple Favor is kind of like that. Well, except it has a 20 million dollars budget (and considerably better acting).
One of the interesting things about these shows is that I can never take them seriously, no matter how terrible the ideas behind them are. No matter how sexist or ableist (or any other kind of not-too-likeable ideology), I just brush it off because of how ridiculous the material is.
In a strange way, A Simple Favor is kind of like that. It features plot points that I would have analyzed in depth, for example the sequence where Emily hits herself in the head to fake domestic violence. But in this one, considering it was just one of many ridiculous plot twists following one another, I didn't care.
I'd like to think the film is aware of its strange qualities. I'm not fully sure of it. Considering how much I love Paul Feig's Ghostbusters, I really want to believe it. However, I'm not convinced it actually matters. I know I'd take it over any actual thriller any day. It dares to be fun, it found the exact right tone to tell a ridiculous story in. It actually owns how stupid it is, and in doing so, it becomes a pleasure to watch. Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively and Henry Golding all switch perfectly through the weird sudden tone shifts. Everything about it seems both perfectly controlled and incredibly chaotic.
I love the nonsensical plot twists, I love the out of place french music, I love how hard it is for me to attempt to describe it. I also believe the source material took itself way more seriously (I haven't read it - correct me if I'm wrong), and God am I glad it ended up the way it did.
A Simple Favor is unlike anything I've seen before, and I won't be surprised if some people think its oddness is just badness. In fact, I won't be mad at all if they do, and they might be right. However for me it was an experience like none I had before. By being aware of its many imperfections, the film becomes smarter than it ever should have been. I wasn't expecting any of it, and whether you love it or hate it, it is more than likely that you won't either.
"You don't want to be friends with me. Trust me."
- Emily
A Simple Favor is a weird one. It was marketed as a straightforward thriller, it could be that. It could also be a dark comedy. Or maybe even a parody. But if I were to be fully honest, I'd say that I don't know what the fuck it is, which is probably the best thing it could be. I've never seen anything like it. Except... If I really think about it, I kind of have.
Have you guys ever watched these "true crime reconstitution" shows that only get broadcasted at 3am on channels no one really watches in the first place? The story makes no sense, no attempt to say it's a true story could make it sound realistic, and yet you find yourself strangely attracted by everything you're seeing. A Simple Favor is kind of like that. Well, except it has a 20 million dollars budget (and considerably better acting).
One of the interesting things about these shows is that I can never take them seriously, no matter how terrible the ideas behind them are. No matter how sexist or ableist (or any other kind of not-too-likeable ideology), I just brush it off because of how ridiculous the material is.
In a strange way, A Simple Favor is kind of like that. It features plot points that I would have analyzed in depth, for example the sequence where Emily hits herself in the head to fake domestic violence. But in this one, considering it was just one of many ridiculous plot twists following one another, I didn't care.
I'd like to think the film is aware of its strange qualities. I'm not fully sure of it. Considering how much I love Paul Feig's Ghostbusters, I really want to believe it. However, I'm not convinced it actually matters. I know I'd take it over any actual thriller any day. It dares to be fun, it found the exact right tone to tell a ridiculous story in. It actually owns how stupid it is, and in doing so, it becomes a pleasure to watch. Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively and Henry Golding all switch perfectly through the weird sudden tone shifts. Everything about it seems both perfectly controlled and incredibly chaotic.
I love the nonsensical plot twists, I love the out of place french music, I love how hard it is for me to attempt to describe it. I also believe the source material took itself way more seriously (I haven't read it - correct me if I'm wrong), and God am I glad it ended up the way it did.
A Simple Favor is unlike anything I've seen before, and I won't be surprised if some people think its oddness is just badness. In fact, I won't be mad at all if they do, and they might be right. However for me it was an experience like none I had before. By being aware of its many imperfections, the film becomes smarter than it ever should have been. I wasn't expecting any of it, and whether you love it or hate it, it is more than likely that you won't either.
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