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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated A Simple Favor (2018) in Movies

Sep 25, 2019

A Simple Favor (2018)

2018 | Crime, Mystery, Thriller

7.2

(50 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Fair warning, if you see this film you will want Blake Lively to be your lover by the end of the it.

There's no denying that this is an entertaining film. There's also no denying that it's predictable. Even without knowing the plot you can basically guess the way it's going to progress.

Blake Lively is amazing though. I honestly thought I'd never seen her in anything, but of course she's been in Green Lantern and Accepted. The latter being a favourite and the former... well, I thought Deadpool had taken care of that one for us... oh well. She does a great job of her role in this one. You can see her devious nature in the way she interacts with everyone and she really does improve the scenes she's in.

I love Anna Kendrick, she's funny and very talented but I wasn't overly keen on her character in this. While I understand that Stephanie takes a major character shift when she realises what has happened, I didn't enjoy the way they did that on the screen. There were some baby steps followed by some huge leaps. At one point I was convinced that they'd gone... "Anna Kendrick always sings... we should get some of that in there." I don't feel like it added anything to the film at all. I'd be interested to see how her character unfolds in the book.

The humour in it is entertaining but the side story of the other "mums" and particularly their inclusion in the summing up of the story feels out of place and more comedy than was right for this film.

Rating this one is tricky. Apart from those odd bits I didn't hate the film and none of it was badly dont... but I don't think I enjoyed it either. I took the evening to think it over and honestly I'm still not sure so therefore it's sitting at the three and a half mark. There's an outside possibility that I'll watch it again to see if I can figure it out, but I don't think it'll be any time soon unless I'm really at a loose end.

Based on the book A Simple Favour by Darcey Bell.

What should you do?

I personally wouldn't recommend watching this until it's streaming. But plenty of other people would disagree with me on that.

Movie thing you wish you could take home

Emily and Sean's house. Although I'm baffled as to why the kitchen is so small so I'd probably expand into the living room space.

Kudos

Kristy H (1252 KP) rated 29 Seconds in Books

Sep 26, 2019

29 Seconds

T.M. Logan | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry

7.0

(2 Ratings)

Book Rating

Sarah's life is ruled by her horrible boss. Yet he's untouchable due to a sizable grant and his famous TV show. Driving to get her children from school one day, Sarah rescues a young girl from harm. She does it out of the kindness of her heart, expecting nothing in return. But her act puts a very powerful man in her debt, and he decides that it must be repaid in his own way. He offers Sarah a 72-hour deal: he can make someone disappear with a simple phone call. No traces to her, no repercussions. Sarah's life with her boss is nearly intolerable, but can she really make that call?

"You give me one name. One person. and I will make them disappear. For you."

I went in to this one a little dubious about its premise, and yes, it's wild and crazy and implausible, but it's also one of those fun, addictive reads that you get caught up in and can't put down for hours. It was a whirlwind read, and I totally loved it. The book's story is very timely--Sarah's boss, Dr. Hawthorne is a terrible, despicable character: a poster child for the #metoo movement. Her success and livelihood are tied into sleeping with him. He sexually harasses her, threatens her, and basically does everything awful thing he could do. Your blood will boil when you read this story, and it was honestly stressful at times. Yet the man is untouchable thanks to protective male colleagues and the money he brings in.

"What happened is that it's a business and they've got too much invested in their prime asset to let him go. People like us are just the collateral damage."

Once Sarah is offered her "deal," it seems like the book will go a certain way, but there's nothing predictable about this novel. It's mesmerizing and completely addictive. There are a ton of twists and turns that keep you completely off guard. It's really easy to root for Sarah, as our bad guy stands in stark contrast to her, even if you question a few of her decisions. (And she's awfully lucky to have her father, who sure takes her kids on with no complaints.)

"She saw it now for what it was: a deal with the Devil."

If you're looking for a fun, unpredictable escape, this thriller is for you. It's really an awesome read, and I, for one, loved the ending. 4+ stars.

Kudos

MelanieTheresa (997 KP) Sep 26, 2019

This one's on my TBR list - glad it was good! 😊

Kudos

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Collateral Beauty (2016) in Movies

Jul 12, 2019

Loss is something that all of us must face at one time or another. It affects each person differently. While some seem unfazed, others cannot adjust to life after the death of a loved one.

In Collateral Beauty, Will Smith portrays Howard Arnett, a father and advertising executive who has shut off the world after the loss of his daughter to cancer.

He disconnects from work, friends, and family. He is a shell of himself, not knowing how to find his place in the world now that a major piece of him is missing.

In an attempt to bring normalcy back to his life and save their company, his friends and colleagues band together to devise a plan to hire actors to play the roles of abstract beings that Howard contacts in his distress, hoping that it forces him to confront his feelings about his loss.

Collateral Beauty is more than just your run of the mill Holiday films. The movie is touching, heart-wrenching, and layered. The film is not limited to the growth of Howard.

We witness how each of his friends has a challenge that they must face that they have been putting off, just as their friend has for the past two years. An ensemble cast of Dame Hellen Mirren, Edward Norton, Kate Winslet, Michael Pena, Kiera Knigthley, and Naomie Harris would normally have audiences or critics worried that the film itself may be light on content, plot, or depth. This is not the case.

The film’s cast is outshined by the story that develops as audiences watch and wait for Howard to become unbroken. The film does not overshoot with respect to their expectations or even offer up conflated ideas and developments. Collateral Beauty gives audiences a chance to watch a man deal with loss and reflect on how we all deal with loss in our own ways.

The film is tough to watch in some moments due to its approach to love and death in not simplifying the significance of one’s life. It demonstrates that each person matters and their lives have a lasting impact. Collateral Beauty will leave audiences reflecting on their own circumstances and those of people they know.

At times, the feelings are too real and a deep connection is made between the characters and the audience that will leave many wishing that they had brought boxes of tissue with them as they will find themselves being touched and heavily impacted.