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A Simple Favor is the dark comedy nobody was expecting. Brilliantly acted, these characters bring you on a mysterious journey while laughing at their terrible flaws. From the trailer you would think, this movie is a Single White Female meets Gone Girl type of missing/kidnapping murder mystery and who knows who did it. This movie is even more than that — it is legit Gone Girl if Gone Girl had hilarious characters to follow.
Meet the Moms
We begin with Stephanie Smothers played by Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) filming one of her vlogs. She’s giving tips to mothers on cooking, crafts, and other family fun activities. This is one of Kendrick’s best roles yet, I mean even the name, Smothers? You can already tell she is an overachiever mom who is living vicariously through her kid. Even though Stephanie is a worrier, she’s still a good mom.
Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) plays Emily Nelson, a Type-A PR exec from New York who definitely lives her life by no one else’s rules. Legit Emily is a badass!! I honestly feel like Blake got to play her best Deadpool in this role. She strolls in with the finest styles and looks fantastic giving negative F$%ks. She raises her kid like I imagine Deadpool would. Her character works for Dennis Nylon, a high fashion designer from NYC played by Rupert Friend (Hitman).
Emily lives in a fancy modern home with her son Nicky and husband Sean Townsend (Henry Golding of Crazy Rich Asians). Tell you what, they make an attractive couple that’s for sure. Husband Sean is a well known author but unfortunately, just one book. He now works as a Lit Professor at a university nearby.
Stephanie and Emily meet when Emily comes to pick up her son Nicky, played by young actor Ian Ho, from school. Nicky demands a playdate with Stephanie’s son, Miles played by Joshua Satine. Even these kid’s performances give the cast a run for their money. Nicky is just as strong willed and gives no F$%ks like his mother, cursing up a storm. He’s unapologetic and rough. I’m thinking, where did they find this kid?? Miles takes after his mother, but remains his own person. He’s a bit soft, but knows what he wants — he may get kicked down but really rolls with the punches. Hats off to the stage moms of those two boys.
Now Emily would rather drink a dry gin martini then have any sort of playdate responsibilities, so… she does both! She invites Stephanie over and the rest is history. There’s a disappearance, a possible murder, mysterious notes and a trail of breadcrumbs to the truth.
Who Did It?
The drama begins when Emily is constantly asking Stephanie to pick her son Nicky up from school. Then one day, Emily never returns home. The film just tickles you as you try to guess what anyone’s intentions are as the question of what happened to Emily unfolds. Learning about each character’s past does not clear up any suspicions.
Let me say, you never fully trust any of these characters.
You can tell that screenplay writer Jessica Sharzer likes literature because the back and forth banter between Sean and Stephanie quoting certain text was carefully and expertly placed throughout the film. Not to mention it is based on a novel by Darcey Bell. These moments helped build suspicion of Sean the husband and Stephanie the best friend in the mysterious events that take place.
Some of the best parts are the fellow parents that watch the events unfold with the best commentary. Parent Darren is played by Andrew Rannells (The Intern). He has the comedic timing of Bette Midler in Stepford Wives and I live for every minute of it. His partners in crime, Stacy, played by Kelly McCormack (Killjoys), and Sona, played by Aparna Nancherla (most recently the voice of Hollyhock in BoJack Horseman), together make the BEST Greek chorus for this film. The condescending, witty repartee had me rolling. They were such popcorn eating in it for the comments characters, it was great.
Unexpected Laughs
The movie is hilarious. You cannot expect anything less from Director Paul Feig, known for The Office and Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. The chemistry between Stephanie and Emily is eclectic, yup read that right: eclectic. They are a classic odd couple but it works and it is mesmerizing. It’s the way Kendrick and Lively dive into their characters. The personalities are so bold and awkward; the circumstance of their lives so intense and weird. It makes the film entertaining in a multitude of ways. Wait until you see Anna Kendrick singing along perfectly to Ante Up by M.O.P. It isn’t unbelievable, given what she did in the Pitch Perfect saga.
A Simple Favor gives us twists and turns, character growth and demise — it’s much more than the trailer leads on. And big ups for women leads. Of course I always root for more Black people in main roles but the movie has a good mix of characters of color, and it is believable with the story it tells. Having a mixed couple, Asian lead, and almost all women cast, they did alright.
You get sucked into the drama of A Simple Favor. You think Sean the husband is lying, or maybe Emily lied all along. Then the sly side eye from Stephanie makes you suspect she’s a psychopath trying to steal Emily’s life. I don’t want to spoil it for you, because I don’t even know if I can. The reveals, yes multiple reveals, are an ode to soap operas and are at a telenovela status. It was like watching a crime drama version of Jane the Virgin.
I suggest checking A Simple Favor out, it is good dirty fun.
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The post ‘A Simple Favor’: The Dark Comedy No One Suspects appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
A Simple Favor is the dark comedy nobody was expecting. Brilliantly acted, these characters bring you on a mysterious journey while laughing at their terrible flaws. From the trailer you would think, this movie is a Single White Female meets Gone Girl type of missing/kidnapping murder mystery and who knows who did it. This movie is even more than that — it is legit Gone Girl if Gone Girl had hilarious characters to follow.
Meet the Moms
We begin with Stephanie Smothers played by Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air) filming one of her vlogs. She’s giving tips to mothers on cooking, crafts, and other family fun activities. This is one of Kendrick’s best roles yet, I mean even the name, Smothers? You can already tell she is an overachiever mom who is living vicariously through her kid. Even though Stephanie is a worrier, she’s still a good mom.
Blake Lively (Gossip Girl) plays Emily Nelson, a Type-A PR exec from New York who definitely lives her life by no one else’s rules. Legit Emily is a badass!! I honestly feel like Blake got to play her best Deadpool in this role. She strolls in with the finest styles and looks fantastic giving negative F$%ks. She raises her kid like I imagine Deadpool would. Her character works for Dennis Nylon, a high fashion designer from NYC played by Rupert Friend (Hitman).
Emily lives in a fancy modern home with her son Nicky and husband Sean Townsend (Henry Golding of Crazy Rich Asians). Tell you what, they make an attractive couple that’s for sure. Husband Sean is a well known author but unfortunately, just one book. He now works as a Lit Professor at a university nearby.
Stephanie and Emily meet when Emily comes to pick up her son Nicky, played by young actor Ian Ho, from school. Nicky demands a playdate with Stephanie’s son, Miles played by Joshua Satine. Even these kid’s performances give the cast a run for their money. Nicky is just as strong willed and gives no F$%ks like his mother, cursing up a storm. He’s unapologetic and rough. I’m thinking, where did they find this kid?? Miles takes after his mother, but remains his own person. He’s a bit soft, but knows what he wants — he may get kicked down but really rolls with the punches. Hats off to the stage moms of those two boys.
Now Emily would rather drink a dry gin martini then have any sort of playdate responsibilities, so… she does both! She invites Stephanie over and the rest is history. There’s a disappearance, a possible murder, mysterious notes and a trail of breadcrumbs to the truth.
Who Did It?
The drama begins when Emily is constantly asking Stephanie to pick her son Nicky up from school. Then one day, Emily never returns home. The film just tickles you as you try to guess what anyone’s intentions are as the question of what happened to Emily unfolds. Learning about each character’s past does not clear up any suspicions.
Let me say, you never fully trust any of these characters.
You can tell that screenplay writer Jessica Sharzer likes literature because the back and forth banter between Sean and Stephanie quoting certain text was carefully and expertly placed throughout the film. Not to mention it is based on a novel by Darcey Bell. These moments helped build suspicion of Sean the husband and Stephanie the best friend in the mysterious events that take place.
Some of the best parts are the fellow parents that watch the events unfold with the best commentary. Parent Darren is played by Andrew Rannells (The Intern). He has the comedic timing of Bette Midler in Stepford Wives and I live for every minute of it. His partners in crime, Stacy, played by Kelly McCormack (Killjoys), and Sona, played by Aparna Nancherla (most recently the voice of Hollyhock in BoJack Horseman), together make the BEST Greek chorus for this film. The condescending, witty repartee had me rolling. They were such popcorn eating in it for the comments characters, it was great.
Unexpected Laughs
The movie is hilarious. You cannot expect anything less from Director Paul Feig, known for The Office and Ghostbusters: Answer the Call. The chemistry between Stephanie and Emily is eclectic, yup read that right: eclectic. They are a classic odd couple but it works and it is mesmerizing. It’s the way Kendrick and Lively dive into their characters. The personalities are so bold and awkward; the circumstance of their lives so intense and weird. It makes the film entertaining in a multitude of ways. Wait until you see Anna Kendrick singing along perfectly to Ante Up by M.O.P. It isn’t unbelievable, given what she did in the Pitch Perfect saga.
A Simple Favor gives us twists and turns, character growth and demise — it’s much more than the trailer leads on. And big ups for women leads. Of course I always root for more Black people in main roles but the movie has a good mix of characters of color, and it is believable with the story it tells. Having a mixed couple, Asian lead, and almost all women cast, they did alright.
You get sucked into the drama of A Simple Favor. You think Sean the husband is lying, or maybe Emily lied all along. Then the sly side eye from Stephanie makes you suspect she’s a psychopath trying to steal Emily’s life. I don’t want to spoil it for you, because I don’t even know if I can. The reveals, yes multiple reveals, are an ode to soap operas and are at a telenovela status. It was like watching a crime drama version of Jane the Virgin.
I suggest checking A Simple Favor out, it is good dirty fun.
Want to get Black Nerd Problems updates sent directly to you? Sign up here!
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook,Instagram, Tumblr, YouTube and Google+?
The post ‘A Simple Favor’: The Dark Comedy No One Suspects appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
By Jared West
I arrived at the stadium and walked through the most massive crowds of the best-dressed people I’ve seen in one place in a long time. The pre-show energy was unreal. People were singing, clapping, laughing, and not a single note of music had been played. As I took my seat, I sat in awe at the massive screen backdrop of the stage. It was complete with trap doors and two extremely long catwalks that extended more than half the length of the field.
DJ Khaled was first.
He made us suffer through about 30 minutes of starting and stopping a mix of his songs, and classic rap jams, right before the good parts. It didn’t stop people from dancing but you could hear a heavy sigh every time the song changed. Thankfully, his set finished and they cleared the stage. I don’t quite understand how he calls himself a DJ when he really wasn’t even the one playing the music. I guess I’m just not a fan.
The 80,000 people in AT&T Stadium and I became antsy, and everyone was talking about which songs they wanted to hear. I saw a person crying and was reminded how much music can mean to certain people. I know I have my go-to songs.
The house lights dimmed and a loud bass sound came through the speakers. The stage lights flashed and the screens opened up and Beyoncé began belting out Justin Timberlake’s part in “Holy Grail”. The crowd went “Apeshit.” Over a two-hour span, Beyoncé and Jay Z reminded us why they are music’s greatest couple. The one set, two-catalog, two-hour long concert featured nearly every hit we all love, and from both artists.
After every four to five songs, Beyoncé and Jay Z would change outfits. He wore a mixture of suits and jackets that most often matched Beyoncé. During 99 problems, he wore a bulletproof vest. Meanwhile, mugshots of certain artists including Meek Mill flashed in the background on the screen. A message in a costume change–only the Carters could pull it off and powerfully.
Beyoncé had a beautiful collection of outfits, including a sparkling dress with a giant purple silk cape, and a black latex body suit with a top hat. These were the best outfits of any tour she’s had. In all, I counted 10 outfit changes.
Between the dazzling costume changes, beautiful captured short films played on the stage screen, depicting candid and emotional moments from the past couple years of the couples life, which we all know has been a roller coaster. The films humanized a pair of people we sometimes forget are real, and somehow made the massive concert feel intimate.
Highlights from the concert for Beyoncé include “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” arguably the most fiery song from 2016’s acclaimed album Lemonade. As Beyoncé belted out “Who the f$%k do you think I is?” fireballs erupted from multiple points in the stage. “You ain’t married to no average bitch boy.” You could truly feel the raw power of the song.
It would be wrong for me to not mention the multiple dance transitions between songs. This is where we saw Beyoncé effortlessly move her body, her dancers following her lead, as the maven was truly slaying the stage. There is a reason she’s known as the greatest performer of all time. It’s hands down a fact.
During “Diva” there wasn’t a single person seated. We all moved in unison to the song that taught us to embrace our inner “Sasha Fierce”. My personal favorite vocal moments were in between songs when Beyoncé would belt out her iconic long-strung notes. Her vocal performance is truly unparalleled.
Jay-Z performed a career spanning set as well, hitting classics like “99 Problems” and “Big Pimpin’.” For me, his portions of On The Run II were certainly overshadowed by Beyoncé’s. Not to say that he isn’t great, but he just doesn’t have the stage presence that she does. Some of the most special moments of the show were when they performed their joint songs. Watching their raunchy interaction onstage during “Drunk in Love” was fun. I’m not sure I’d let people that deep into my personal life. During the second to last song, there was a Beyoncé and Jay-Z duet of Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.” A video played of the couples vow renewal ceremony, which beautifully visualized the song.
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The beat of “Apeshit” began and we all knew that was it. Every bit of energy we as a crowd had left. We had released it into the songs with The Carters. At the end of the song, we got a standard “Thank you. Drive safe” and they walked off together, holding hands. The dancers followed. We were all out of breath.
On The Run II was a special moment. It didn’t matter who you were or where you were from. It only mattered that 80,000 of us got to celebrate the careers and discography of two of the most important, innovative, and groundbreaking artists of all time. This will go down as one of my favorite concerts, and we can only hope there will be an On The Run III one day.
If you haven’t attended, you still do have an opportunity. I would highly recommend that go. The remaining tour dates are below:
Sept. 22 Los Angeles, CA Rose Bowl
Sept. 27 San Diego, CA SDCCU Stadium
Sept. 29 Santa Clara, CA Levi’s Stadium
Oct. 02 Vancouver, BC BC Place
For complete tour and ticket information visit: http://www.livenation.com, http://www.beyonce.com
The post Beyonce and Jay Came to Slay: My Night at “On the Run II” in Dallas appeared first on Black Girl Nerds.
Domhnall Gleeson may play a sneering space fascist in Star Wars, but the actor is the polar opposite of his character. He took so-called “fans” unsparingly to task for their racist and sexist harassment of Kelly Marie Tran.
In case you need a refresher, Uproxx summarizes what happened with Tran, who played the heroic mechanic Rose Tico:
Tran was harassed by a toxic subset of fandom who seem to think not liking a movie is a valid reason to single out and bully one actor. The deluge of personal attacks led her to leave social media, pen an emotional essay about the experience, and continue to question whether social media is worth it. (It probably isn’t.)
In an interview with Hey U Guys to promote his film The Little Stranger, Gleeson didn’t hold back when it came to the subject of what happened to his Star Wars: The Last Jedi colleague:
“People having an opinion about the film is absolutely fine. You pay your money, and you’re allowed to have an opinion,” Gleeson said, adding a short while later, “The stuff with Kelly was bullshit. That’s a different thing all together, so those people are just morons. Those people are just assholes. It’s a different level of stuff. You don’t buy that when you buy your tickets. I thought the piece she wrote was amazing and I’ve got huge respect for her. I thought she dealt with it as classily as an unclassy situation can call for.”
You got it, toxic harassers? General Hux himself would like you to know that you are both a moron and an asshole, engaging in bullshit. While Tran’s co-stars Mark Hamill and John Boyega and director Rian Johnson have expressed frustration over her treatment, it’s refreshing to hear Gleeson refuse to equivocate in the slightest. Come through, Domhnall.
(via Uproxx, image: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney)
- The story of how one comedy club refused T.J. “Alleged Fake Bomb Threat” Miller. Others should learn from this example. (via Fast Company)
- Trump says “I don’t have an Attorney General,” plunging me back into the bizarro hellscape of this dystopia where I feel a modicum of sympathy towards lawful evil elf Jeff Sessions. (via The Independent)
- In which old skool Gwen Stacy, Bryce Dallas Howard, learns about Spider-Gwen. (via Inverse)
- Garrison Keillor is apparently planning his comeback, because of course he is. Feeling pretty woebegone about this. (via Vulture)
Did you see anything out there today? Or was it one of these days:
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