7 | / 10 |
Users | 4.2 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A mommy blogger in a small town discovers her best friend has vanished.
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Blake Lively, Eric Johnson (I), Jean Smart, Sarah Baker (IV)Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Drama | Insignificant |
Comedy | Insignificant |
Mystery | Insignificant |
Video codec: HEVC / H.265
Video resolution: 4K (2160p)
Aspect ratio: 2.00:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.00:1
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English SDH, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Digital copy
4K Ultra HD
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Back in the days of print media, those of us who worked as reviewers at newspapers and/or magazines knew we were probably dealing with a less than completely successful film release if we weren’t granted an opportunity to see the film before its general public exhibition. The thinking by the studios seemed to be, “The less said, the better”, in the case of some “questionable” properties. One might think that that same kind of “caution” wouldn’t necessarily extend to the home media market, since, after all, for all but direct to video releases, movies and television outings being put out on various home media platforms including 1080p Blu-ray and 4K UHD discs have more than likely already been reviewed and, perhaps more importantly, have certainly either been given approval or dismissal by paying audiences. And yet Lionsgate kind of strangely didn’t provide a review copy of A Simple Favor (to me, anyway), this despite the fact that the film’s theatrical exhibition was largely met with positive reviews and (again, perhaps more importantly) at least decent box office returns. However, after having now watched the film and come away at least a little surprised by the tone of it all, I have to say Lionsgate’s marketing “strategy” for this film as a whole seems almost willfully boneheaded. The promotional trailers I saw on broadcast and cable television trying to drum up business for the film’s theatrical exhibition made A Simple Favor seem like "Gone Girl redux". While there is a missing persons element to A Simple Favor, the trailers I personally saw pretty much completely missed the fact that this outing is considerably cheekier than the Gillian Flynn adaptation, with a dark but potent sense of humor, as perhaps might have been surmised by anyone paying attention to the fact that Paul Feig co-produced and directed it.
Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080p Blu-ray.
A Simple Favor is presented on 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with a 2160p transfer in 2.00:1. I'll refer you to our
A Simple Favor Blu-ray review for some information on a
kind of strange discrepancy on the aspect ratio of the 1080p Blu-ray presentation that some members have been reporting, while also stating that
everyone seems to have received a 2160p disc in 2.00:1, which was the film's theatrical exhibition aspect ratio. As I also discuss in the review of the
1080p version, this was digitally captured at a source resolution of 8K and then finished at a 2K DI. There are some interesting differences in the
1080p and 2160p presentations, and one of the first that caught my eye is what looks like a very fine digital grain field that is apparent in the
increased resolution that really didn't make that much of an impact on me personally in 1080p. There's also a much more noticeable textural quality to
the vlog material that Stephanie provides, with a kind of crosshatched appearance at times that is more marked in this version than on the 1080p
version. Fine detail is upped, at times considerably, across the board in this presentation, with everything from the pill on Stephanie's "animal socks"
to the bricks at the Nylon offices to even the canvas of the provocative painting of Emily looking more palpable in 2160p. Dolby Vision also nicely
accentuates the film's really appealing palette, with newly vivid tones available in the rather luxe costumes and furnishings that are on display. While
perhaps marginally improved, there is still the same lack of shadow detail in just a couple of rather dark scenes later in the film when Stephanie is on
her hunt for the truth. The "almost banding" I noticed in the 1080p Blu-ray version is also ameliorated in this iteration as well.
There are a ton of really fun (often French) source cues utilized throughout A Simple Favor, something that opens up the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track quite winningly. The film opens with an enjoyably raucous version of the old chestnut "Music to Watch Girls By", albeit in French, and subsequent cues are similarly energetic, with a nice spread through the surround channels. Several non-musical sequences also offer good surround activity, including some noisy schoolroom moments, a playdate at the park, and, later (if somewhat briefly), what seems to be turning into a car chase between Stephanie and a supposed assailant. Ambient environmental sounds regularly dot the surrounds in the outdoor material, and throughout the entire presentation dialogue is always rendered cleanly and clearly and with excellent prioritization.
Both the 1080p and 2160p discs in this package share the same bountiful supply of bonus features:
Despite its sometimes head scratching omissions and/or lack of logic, I actually enjoyed huge swaths of A Simple Favor. The film made me laugh out loud several times, and the interplay between Kendrick and Lively was consistently engaging. The film may offer just a few too many ostensible twists for its own good, but it seems to have a sense of humor about itself, something that is often sadly missing in contemporary comedies. Fans of the cast will most likely be willing to overlook any perceived deficits. Technical merits are first rate, and while the audio is the same as on the 1080p Blu-ray, the video element here definitely shows improvement in both overall saturation and detail levels. Additionally, the supplemental package is outstanding, and A Simple Favor comes Recommended.
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