Read before watching Another Simple Favor (on Prime). Here, I dig into Blake Lively's evolution from 2018, Kendrick's banner 7 years and the backstory of this film franchise
Great article! The backgrounds of the actors, info about the first Simple Favor, etc was intriguing. Too bad I can't say this about the sequel. We started watching and couldn't get past 10 minutes. It was that bad.
I wrote a review on Letterboxd, but I'll provide it here:
Incest, triplets and more deaths, oh my.
Starts off strong with some masterful Henry Golding monologues only to pretty much fall apart after he’s gone (or we glimpse his last ass cheek). Still, it’s Kendrick and Lively and I’m here for the laughs and the chemistry but the whole sister fucker elements of it in the last 1/3rd had my head spinning. The ending leaves room for a sequel and I’d probably watch it but this was about 60% worse than the first one so with that statistical pattern I’d be concerned.
Remember watching the second “Bridget Jones Diary” (arguably the worst in the franchise) where Bridget ends up in a Thai prison under somewhat misguided though mostly naive circumstances? This one has an aftertaste of that in parts, with Kendrick’s character being framed for crimes in a foreign country, minus the cultural misappropriation. You just want the “bad things happen to women when they travel solo internationally” trope to end, but mostly you want this film to end.
Intrigued to see which way this goes. I'm generally sceptical of the attempt to capitalise on the success of a good film with a sequel. The sequel needs to be even better than the original, yet so often just feels like a money- and fame-grabbing exercise.
I loved it. I watched Another Simple Favor last night. What a hoot and honestly didn’t see the twist coming. Get a martini and enjoy!
Kendrick was good enough. Honestly any talented comic actress could handle the role. Blake looked gorgeous and this was her role. I think everyone was had a lot of fun making this movie.
And all I could think of honestly was also good for Blake. Haters gonna hate.
Shame on Taylor Swift. What a fly by night friend.
Curious to read what you think about it. After watching the now famous 'interview' with Blake online, and all the drama in the press, I just can't get past her as Blake in a film.
I have this issue with Blake too. I can't really think of a movie or show where I liked her as a character. I just can't stop seeing her as a mix of her gossip girl role and some of those interview clips of her being kind of a mean girl.
What a fabulous bit of dish! It's great to see a female director succeed in subverting the victim role. I have not watched this franchise yet, but now I'm curious to go back and watch the first one. The second feels like it might just be pure ambient Italian-hued television, by which to do PowerPoint. :)
Here’s to ambient Italian-hued TV side screen. I read a book the other day this way. I was mostly attuned to the book but had a show on the side frame. 😆 I can vouch for the first film! It’s so good. Diving into the second now. 3-2-1
I remember watching, and enjoying, A Simple Favour a few years ago, definitely not a movie I would have said needed a sequel but I am all for it if it delivers a good time. I tried looking into the Baldoni/Lively feud a while back but have no idea who to believe. I did find it strange to see Ryan Reynolds joking about it at the SNL special given the seriousness of her accusations but maybe that is just him continuing that Deadpool shtick he has going. As a Canadian I could do without having to hear about Ryan Reynolds for a while, he seems to always be in the news here from when he was flirting with buying the Ottawa Senators to his Ugly Christmas Sweater tradition, both are fine things to do but I just could use a break from seeing him everywhere.
Great article! The backgrounds of the actors, info about the first Simple Favor, etc was intriguing. Too bad I can't say this about the sequel. We started watching and couldn't get past 10 minutes. It was that bad.
Nice piece. Sadly the new film is drivel. Gave up after 5 minutes
Thanks. It wasn't great.
I wrote a review on Letterboxd, but I'll provide it here:
Incest, triplets and more deaths, oh my.
Starts off strong with some masterful Henry Golding monologues only to pretty much fall apart after he’s gone (or we glimpse his last ass cheek). Still, it’s Kendrick and Lively and I’m here for the laughs and the chemistry but the whole sister fucker elements of it in the last 1/3rd had my head spinning. The ending leaves room for a sequel and I’d probably watch it but this was about 60% worse than the first one so with that statistical pattern I’d be concerned.
Remember watching the second “Bridget Jones Diary” (arguably the worst in the franchise) where Bridget ends up in a Thai prison under somewhat misguided though mostly naive circumstances? This one has an aftertaste of that in parts, with Kendrick’s character being framed for crimes in a foreign country, minus the cultural misappropriation. You just want the “bad things happen to women when they travel solo internationally” trope to end, but mostly you want this film to end.
It was bad. real bad.
Yup! I wrote this after I saw it: https://boxd.it/9B6CUD
nailed it, but objectively, itt was at least 80% worse than the first one lol!
I really weighted the first third too heavily
Intrigued to see which way this goes. I'm generally sceptical of the attempt to capitalise on the success of a good film with a sequel. The sequel needs to be even better than the original, yet so often just feels like a money- and fame-grabbing exercise.
I loved it. I watched Another Simple Favor last night. What a hoot and honestly didn’t see the twist coming. Get a martini and enjoy!
Kendrick was good enough. Honestly any talented comic actress could handle the role. Blake looked gorgeous and this was her role. I think everyone was had a lot of fun making this movie.
And all I could think of honestly was also good for Blake. Haters gonna hate.
Shame on Taylor Swift. What a fly by night friend.
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed it. This makes me giddy. I really just had so much fun with the first one.
Watching the sequel with my daughter this evening. We apparently watched the first one together too (which I didn’t remember).
Haters gonna hate has to be a TS lyric. Looking it up
Yes actually I think it is TS lyrics. It’s from Shake It Off. ha I didn’t even realize when I used it.
Sounds right. Like, classic example of my forgetting
Actually it’s one of the only TS songs I liked and had on my phone. Otherwise would never have known this.
Curious to read what you think about it. After watching the now famous 'interview' with Blake online, and all the drama in the press, I just can't get past her as Blake in a film.
I have this issue with Blake too. I can't really think of a movie or show where I liked her as a character. I just can't stop seeing her as a mix of her gossip girl role and some of those interview clips of her being kind of a mean girl.
What a fabulous bit of dish! It's great to see a female director succeed in subverting the victim role. I have not watched this franchise yet, but now I'm curious to go back and watch the first one. The second feels like it might just be pure ambient Italian-hued television, by which to do PowerPoint. :)
Here’s to ambient Italian-hued TV side screen. I read a book the other day this way. I was mostly attuned to the book but had a show on the side frame. 😆 I can vouch for the first film! It’s so good. Diving into the second now. 3-2-1
I remember watching, and enjoying, A Simple Favour a few years ago, definitely not a movie I would have said needed a sequel but I am all for it if it delivers a good time. I tried looking into the Baldoni/Lively feud a while back but have no idea who to believe. I did find it strange to see Ryan Reynolds joking about it at the SNL special given the seriousness of her accusations but maybe that is just him continuing that Deadpool shtick he has going. As a Canadian I could do without having to hear about Ryan Reynolds for a while, he seems to always be in the news here from when he was flirting with buying the Ottawa Senators to his Ugly Christmas Sweater tradition, both are fine things to do but I just could use a break from seeing him everywhere.