Tag: Anna Kendrick

Another Simple Favour (2025)

Rating: 18
Length: 02h01
Release: 01/05/2025
Director: Paul Feig
About: Stephanie Smothers and Emily Nelson reunite on the island of Capri, Italy, for Emily’s extravagant wedding to a rich Italian businessman, which is interrupted by murder and betrayal. Every friendship has its twists.
Moon: No Moon sighting
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime
Trailer:

The Good

  • Both Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively are killing it again. Not only do they individually bring their A game, their chemistry as social cat and mouse who love each other is the best kind of fucked-up.
  • This film is a farce, and it’s not hiding that fact. However, Feig has traded in his Saturday Night Live casting for a much more scripted and controlled affair. There’s few actresses that can balance that line of comedy and drama, and only one who can do well. Allison Janney not only adds her Oscar winning acting chops, she plays the role with perfect comic timing.
  • The costumes are as incredible as the first film. If for nothing else, you have to watch the film to feel the awe and envy of the clothes both Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick get to wear.

The Bad

  • It’s about 30 minutes too long. The opening sets everything up pretty quickly if not a little too exposition by dialogue.
  • The publicist was wasted character and just there to be picked up and dropped when Stephanie needs someone to talk to. I almost wish the set up to get her to the wedding instead included taking her son or anyone else.

The Ugly

  • Enough with the casual incest already. It is just such a weird non-plot point that the film just keeps coming back to. It feels like it would be right at home in a Feig/McCarthy led production and a improv line. However, it’s just odd that it was not only brought back up, but the film doubled down in the sequel.

Final Thoughts

Yet another surprising offering from Feig. It won’t stand up to multiple viewings but it certainly is worth the watch.

Pitch Perfect (2012) Film Review

Well… sometimes I have the feeling I can do crystal meth, but then I think, mmm… better not.

Rating 12a
Length 1h52
Release 21.12.2012
Director Jason Moore
About Beca, a college fresher, reluctantly joins an all-girls a cappella group and later infuses freshness into their repertoire. They then take on a male a cappella group in a competition.
Moon: no moon sighting
Where to Watch: Netflix
Trailer:

The Good

  • Anna Kendrick gives an opinion changing performance with this film and sees me going from avoiding anything with her in, thanks to Twilight, to her being someone I’d watch in everything.
    Not only is she likeable and relatable as Freshman Beca, I was left with a want to see how Twilight would have played out had she secured the role of Bella Swan.
  • There is a really good plot thread in which Leader Aubrey, feeling challenged by natural leader Beca, doubles down on her management style and makes it clear that Beca is not liked, or wanted. Now this may appear to be a clique that has been seen in many films. Even music competition film Sister Act has a similar theme with Whoopi’s teacher nun and the class she has to look after.
    However, Pitch Perfect makes it feel fresh and new.
  • The music is awesome. Every song collected for this soundtrack is upbeat and will have you humming along for days after you watched.
  • I like that the romance, while present, takes a back seat, favouring a slow burn and friendship.

The Bad

  • I do love both Elizabeth Banks and John Michael Higgins. However for every line that hits a funny bone, there’s about three that will have you cringing. I guess that’s the nature of ad lib.
  • I wish they’d put subtitles on Lilly, because what she actually says is genius. They should have been there for every line even in the cinema. I absolutely cannot recommend strongly enough that the next time you watch, you put on the subtitles.

The Ugly

  • Some of the jokes, particularly those that are aimed at Cynthia Rose’s sexuality, feel very dated and boarding on being phobic.
  • In the same sense, the whole concept of “Fat Amy”. While not so much that it hasn’t aged well, but more that it was never funny. Yes, I’m saying that as a larger lady. However, the point is that even if you have the “fat” character poking fun at themselves it’s rarely going to work if she’s written by someone who has never had weight issues.

Final Thoughts

This is such a comfort movie for me, despite the flaws. I think I watch it at least once a year and this is quite significant considering I watched it on one of the worst days of my life.