"A Simple Favor" combines comedy, mystery and a story that feels a lot like "Gone Girl" done for laughs. Anna Kendrick plays a single mom dazzled by fellow mom Blake Lively. Kendrick video blogs recipes and household hints. Lively does PR for a Manhattan fashion company, and drives a Porsche. Kendrick suffers guilt over her husband's death. Lively has an active sex life with hot-looking husband Henry Golding. The new friends drink martinis, gossip, and bond in sisterhood. Suddenly, Lively disappears, and Kendrick determines to find out why. The solution gets complicated, including a romance between Kendrick and Golding. The plot runs out of gas, and the finale lands flat. "A Simple Favor" is often fun to watch, thanks to hilarious dialog and great chemistry between the actresses. Blake Lively dazzled me: I can't wait to see what she does next. "A Simple Favor," rated "R," 2½ stars. Does it deliver what it promises? Funny mystery. Is it entertaining? Often. Is it worth the price of admission? Watchable.
