A Simple Favor 2018

     This film is based on a debut novel by Darcey Bell.  Stephanie Smothers is a widowed Single mom with a young son Miles.  Her husband was killed in a car accident.  She becomes friends with Emily and she has a son Nicky the same age as Miles.  The boys attend the same elementary school.  The boys are really happy to have play dates together.  The mom's are totally different.  Stephanie runs a blog with craft ideas and recipes.  Emily is a busy working mother.  She is a PR director for a fashion company.  Stephanie has to worry about money because her husband's life insurance payment will run out.  Emily has a much more expensive lifestyle but they are in debt.  Her husband Sean is an English professor and a former writer with a published novel.  Emily asks Stephanie to babysit Nicky because she is having a work crisis and Sean is in London.  Two days pass and Stephanie contacts Emily's employer for information about Emily.
      This movie is a thriller with twists and turns that you don't see coming?  I didn't know how it was going to end either?  Stephanie and Emily are total opposites and maybe that's why they get along?  Stephanie cooks, bakes and shares her recipes on her blog.  Emily may not be able to successfully boil and egg?  Stephane misses having her husband and Emily chides her husband for his inability to create another novel.  4* (I really liked this movie)

117 min, Crime directed by Paul Feig with Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Henry Golding, Ian Ho, Joshua Satine, Glenda Braganza, Andrew Rannells, Kelly McCormack, Aparna Nancherla, Jiah Mavji, Ava LaFramoise, Dustin Milligan, Danielle Bougon, Gisa Sandhu, Lila Yee.

Note:  Imdb 6.9 out of 10, 85% critic 75% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Amazon 4* out of 5* with 748 reviews, Roger Ebert 3*, Metacritic 67 out of 100 with 41 critics 7 out of 10 with 168 reviews, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Wendy Ide, RollingStone 3 1/2* out of 5* Peter Travers.
Special Note:  Filmed in Unionville, Mississquga, Toronto, Ontario, Canada and New York City, New York.  The gin used in the martinis shared by Stephanie and Emily is Aviation (American) Gin.  This is a company owned by Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively's husband.  Stephanie was able to put up with a lot of abuse from Emily because it replaced her loneliness.  Blake Lively wanted her character Emily to wear suits in sharp contrast to the mom look worn by Stephanie.  Blake's style was inspired by the looks of Katharine Hepburn, Lauren Bacall and Madonna.  Some items like the dickie and the French cuffs were custom made.  The film rights were purchased before the book was published.