Widowed single mom Stephanie runs a small scale vlog focusing on parenting tips, crafts and recipes. She's chronically perky and wholesome, a super-mom whose domestic focus and over-active involvement in school activities leads to a lot of snide comments from the other parents at her son's school.
It's thus a case of 'opposites attract' when Stephanie becomes chums with the swaggering, martini-swilling, decidedly non-domestic Emily Nelson. Emily's son attends school with Stephanie's kid, and the two mom's bond over after-school playdates and more than a few stuff drinks. They share secrets; Emily her frustration over her husband's lack of success, Stephanie a past sexual indiscretion quite at odds with her 'nice girl' persona.
Despite their many differences, and Emily's sometimes aggressive demeanour, Stephanie soon counts the other woman as her closest friend. So she is deeply worried when, after dropping off her son 'for a few hours', Emily does not return. After 48 hours with no word, she persuades Emily's husband to contact the police.
What has happened to Emily? Stephanie intends to find out. People may discount her as a lightweight stay at home mom, but she's determined to not going to give up on her friend.
That determination might prove a lot more dangerous than Stephanie expects ... can she get the answers she wants before the questions get her into something she can't get out of?
A Simple Favor is a fun black comedy that profits immensely from excellent performances at its core. Both Anna Kendrick (as Stephanie) and Blake Lively (as Emily) do a great job throughout the film, whether performing together and separately.
This film is something of a modern take on the noir tale; we have the femme fatale, the flawed but persistent investigator, the unwise love affair, the innocent dupe ... and of course murder and betrayal. These ingredients have however been re-imagined and re-combined in ways that the screenwriters of the 40s would definitely never have considered, which helps keep the whole thing feeling fresh.
The twisty-windy plot that unfolds is perhaps ultimately rather far-fetched and improbable, which might present an issue for some viewers, but I found that it rattled along with enough verve that I didn't really mind. Anna Kendrick deserves a lot of the credit for this, I think, as she does a great job of showing us the any facets of the more-complex-than-she-appears 'good girl' Stephanie, and depicting her character's slow evolution from would-be wallflower to determined amateur sleuth.
This is a fun romp. Recommended!
One final note: thumbs up for the script's overt messaging about just how much work is involved in being a stay-at-home parent, and the criticism of society's tendency to underestimate its value.
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