Tuesday, January 20, 2015

Favor (2013)

Down on his luck Marvin is visited by his childhood friend Kip.  The two share a beer and Marvin brings out an old photo of them as kids while they reminisce. Kip mentions that Marvin used to say a friend helps you move, a good friend helps you move a body.  Marvin laughs since it sounds like something he'd say, but Kip looks awkward and asks, "Well, will you?"

It seems Kip has accidentally killed his mistress, who started pushing for a relationship.  If news of the murder gets out, Kip will lose his wife, his career, and he'll be ruined financially.

Being a good friend, Marvin accompanies Kip to the motel to survey the scene.  They end up back at Marvin's for supplies, where Marvin tells Kip to go home and let him take care of it.  He's afraid someone might remember Kips car if he goes back to the motel again. So Marvin will take care of making Kips problem go away.

The next day, Kip is upset to see Marvin on the curb outside his home. Marvin is shaken up, but Kip says they need to avoid each other for awhile so no one gets suspicious.  But Marvin keeps popping up at Kips home and his work.  And it seems that every time Marvin shows up, he wants something.  That's what happens when you do someone a huge favor. They want you to reciprocate. Flashbacks throughout the film show what occurred when Marvin got rid of the body.

Marvin is down on his luck.  He's been unemployed for awhile, has no job prospects, no dating prospects, and is running out of money.  On the other hand, Kip is successful, has a nice home, a pretty wife, is successful at work, and women like to flirt with him.  After doing such a big favor for Kip, Marvin's not too pleased that Kip won't help him solve his problems.  This isn't going to go well.

This is a low budget movie.  The majority of the film is interaction and dialogue between Kip and Marvin. At the hour mark, I was wondering if I could last until the end. But either the movie isn't as long as it says it is, or the last part goes much quicker than the first. It's an interesting idea and plays out in way I didn't expect.

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