Favor

I am very, very critical of most movies. Especially these type of indie flix where the 2-bit actors recite their barely memorized lines one after another after another with little emotion. Or overact using the f-word to show their "range." Or act in ways no normal person ever would.

You won't find this in Favor, my friend.

I caught Favor on Comcast Xfinity Streampix last night and its the best movie I've seen in 5 years. Maybe 10. The casting, acting, script writing, character and plot development, and entertainment value are all 10 out of 10. I put it up their with Blood Simple, one of my top 10 of all time. The main character (Blayne Weaver) acts exactly like you would expect a man to act in his predicament. His wife (Cheryl Nichols) was amazing and it was hard to believe she was acting. What a star, and what a gorgeous woman. And the bad guy - Patrick Day. Wow. Maybe the best acting I have ever seen, and I mean ever.

Yes, there are some flaws. The policewoman and her smart alec demeanor was over the top and a throwaway part. The plot had a few minor holes, but so did The Departed and The Godfather. But even with these minor flaws, I still cannot recommend this movie more. It's low budget indie look and style add so much to the realism. Compare this to the piece of indie trash called "At The Sinatra Club" I saw the night before or the ridiculously stupid waste of celluloid "Iron Doors" I saw the night before that and one can see what a true masterpiece this is.

To all involved with this movie: Well done! BRAVO! Please make more just like it and this time get a major release so I don't have to catch your fine work two years later on Comcast.

There's some genuinely great acting in this, plus some really strong writing and directing, but ultimately it doesn't quite achieve escape velocity and soar. The ending is just too convenient, and with another pass this script could have been so much more effective. However, it's still definitely worth a watch, despite these failings.

Went to the screening of this movie in Sonoma along with an old co-star friend of mine. Wasn't sure what to expect from the film and was blown away at the cadence and depth off the performances of the cast.

Lots of subtle moments that keep you on the edge of your seat wondering if you have guessed how the ending might unfold. I've had the opportunity to work with Patrick Day, always knew he was talented, but I never got to see him in anything dramatic. This was a great project for him to spread his acting wings.

It's great to see so many independent films being made now, that can rival the look and feel of big studio productions. It's a good wake up call that the industry is changing and evolving and providing new avenues for creative people.

Bravo to the cast and crew for a great break from reality.

I went into this movie knowing nothing at all about it, so perhaps that's one of the reasons I scored it so highly. Sometimes it's great to just watch a movie for the sake of watching it rather then go in expecting something only to be disappointed.

The story is not new, but the way it's delivered is quite good and not what I expected at all.

I have never heard of any of the actors in this piece and given their sometimes wooden acting and sheer (seemingly) lack of talent helps deliver this movie in a fashion I'm certainly not familiar with. I am hoping that the actors were directed in such a fashion as to seem wooden and inexperienced to add to the impact they have on the audience.

There are some rather ridiculous moments of 'special effects' but I'm not going to detract too much from the movie for what seem like 'after thoughts'. There are a couple of bad editing points, I can't fathom why they needed two Toyota Camry's, but clearly there is more then one and in a couple of scenes there is some annoying lens reflection, but I guess most wont notice anyway. Why do I bring these items up???, well I am of the opinion that this movie was a fluke, however I'm not totally convinced, but it seems to me that if you take an old script use unknown actors, use poor visual effects combined with poor camera work and still have a winning combination it's either a fluke or bloody good direction. I'm not knowledgeable enough on the director nor the actors to offer an 'informed opinion', but let's hope the next movie from Paul Osborne shows me that it was great work from him that pleased me so much about this movie.

Overall I was glued to this movie for the simple fact that the actors had me wondering if they could deliver the goods, they delivered in spades as did the director, as mentioned the script is by no means new, but it has some interesting twists and turns that carry the movie and keep you guessing, to turn a old script into something that is interesting and is not 'too' predictable is an achievement in itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed this.

8/10.

Another one that caught me completely by surprise. Alicia Veliz and I sat down to watch this, after deciding to pick a couple of random DVDs. While it turned out I saw the other one before, Favor was new to us both and I'm happy to say, this was a Favor I didn't mind owing.

Do you know the saying "A friend helps you move. A good friend helps you move a body" ? This is the entire premise of this movie and while it is a very small budget movie (you can tell the locations are no more than two or three places), the actors involved and the Director did a fantastic job of making this simple premise a taught and enjoyable thriller from beginning to end.

With a slow build, but never boring Favor is all about the characters shown. Kip is one of those people some of us know, who always seem to have everything they want. A great job. A nice home. A loving marriage and everything in between. Like some people though, he takes these things for granted as if he's owed everything he has. Then we meet Marvin. Kip's old friend from way back. Marvin is the complete opposite. He's broke. He's unemployed. He's lonely and has nothing worth living for. After Kip asks for Marvin help to move his dead girlfriend's body, things get really complicated as Marvin unravels and begins to envy Kip's life. We know what's coming, but that doesn't make the ride any less fun.

Favor isn't fast paced or action packed but the actors make the story riveting and enjoyable from beginning to end and I highly recommend watching it, if you're looking for a good suspense flick.