A Simple Favor

Every once in a while an actress comes along that you just like instantly, who is just adorable. Diane Keaton was one. Ellen Page was another. And Abigail Breslin makes three. From the first time I saw Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air, I fell in love. She stole the picture from George Clooney, which ain’t easy. She does shy, awkward, tongue-tied, yet likeable as if she was the female equivalent of Hugh Grant. Yet underneath it all you can see there is steel. Her screen persona is spunky, as Lou Grant said of Mary Richards on her first day at work (following it up with “I hate spunky!)

She really shines in this dark thriller/comedy, and so does her co-star, Blake Lively, who I really liked in the improbable one-woman shark movie, The Shallows. I don’t want to reveal too much detail, but the plot is clever, where many things are not what you thought they were. The story is neatly enhanced by excerpts from Kendrick’s vlog, a homey collection of household tips, recipes, and crafts. As the plot thickens, she becomes almost an Internet meme, with more and more followers of this real-life drama. I recommend this one highly.