Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reunite, but no amount of couture or coastline can save ‘Another Simple Favor’ from its script.
By Bob Tremblay/Boston Movie News
I have no way of knowing this for sure, but I’m betting many cast and crew members signed on to “Another Simple Favor” because the film is set on the Italian island of Capri, one of the most beautiful places on this planet. And they were getting paid to go there.
They certainly couldn’t have been attracted to a script that’s so lame it could have been accompanied by crutches.
The movie is a sequel to the 2018 film “A Simple Favor” based on the 2017 novel by Darcey Bell. While it helps to have seen the slightly superior original, it won’t save the sequel from diminishing returns. Like most sequels, it only exists to make money with artistic integrity an afterthought.
To briefly recap, Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively play friends until circumstances turn them enemies. Lively’s character, the very bawdy Emily Nelson, tries to kill Kendrick’s character, the very prudish Stephanie Smothers, who has no relation to the brothers. Emily ends up in jail for her transgression.
The sequel opens with Stephanie at a bookstore for a signing of her book based on her experiences with Emily. Then you’ll never guess what happens next. That’s right, Emily shows up, having been released from jail, because there wouldn’t be a movie if she weren’t. Stephanie is rightfully a tad concerned by Emily’s appearance, but rather than attempting to kill her again, she invites her to her wedding on Capri. Why, you ask. I’ll never tell. After hesitating to accept the invitation for obvious reasons, Stephanie agrees because there wouldn’t be a movie if she didn’t. She takes along her publicist, Vicky (Lynn-born Alex Newell), to accompany her. Why? To provide comic relief. Sadly, there’s no relief.
Once on Capri, Stephanie meets Emily’s hunky and wealthy fiance, Dante Versano (Michael Morrone). He’s so wealthy that you might assume there could be some mafia mischief in the offing. We also meet Dante’s mother, Portia (Elena Sofia Ricci), who disapproves of the marriage, Emily’s mother, Margaret (Elizabeth Perkins replacing Jean Smart), Emily’s aunt, Linda (Allison Janney), and Emily’s ex-husband, Sean (Henry Golding), whom Emily shot in the first film. He shows up anyway because if he doesn’t, well, I’d hate to spoil the surprises.
Anyway, mysterious things start to happen, and it’s up to Stephanie to solve them before it’s too late. Here’s where the film gets convoluted. Screenwriters Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis throw so many red herrings into the script that the film smells like a fish market. And the big reveals turn out to be big nothings. Worse is the ludicrous resolution of the bad-gals-good-gals confrontation at the end. Director Paul Feig knows his way around warring women comedies as his resume includes “Bridesmaids” and “The Heat,” but he’s undone here by substandard material.
Kendrick and Lively do their best to inject some spark into the film. If you liked their ribald banter in the first film, you’ll likely enjoy it in the second. Let’s just say I’m not a member of this film’s demographic, as moms and moms-to-be are the target audience. Note that Stephanie is also a mom-centric vlogger.
The best way to enjoy “Another Simple Favor” is to turn off your brain, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and gawk at the expensive clothes. Fans of the films will be pleased to know another sequel looks to be on the horizon. I wonder what it will be called. “A Simpler Favor”? My simple favor is that the filmmakers find a better script.
Bob Tremblay is the former film critic for the MetroWest Daily News in Framingham, Mass., and a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics.
‘Another Simple Favor’
Cast: Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively
Director: Paul Feig
Writers: Jessica Sharzer and Laeta Kalogridis
Rating: R for violence, sexual content, nudity, language throughout, and suicide
Running time: 120 minutes
Where to watch: May 2 on Prime Video
Grade: C
Boston Movie News 