Little Favour (2013)

What a waste of my time!!!

This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

Am I Missing Something?

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

"Little Favour" is a 20-minute short film from 2 years ago and it was written and directed by Patrick Viktor Monroe, a man whose biggest career achievement so far had been being Tom Hardy's personal trainer on "Warrior". So it is not really a surprise that his work here turned into a pretty bad film. The lead actor is Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch and after watching him here, we should be glad that he does not appear in action films more frequently. Then again, he plays his usual shtick here: a man really gifted in a certain area, but who suffers either emotionally or physically even or both like in this movie.It's absolutely ridiculous how Cumberbatch beats up a couple men twice his size in here and how a little girl near the end does exactly the same. And then, if he cares so much for the kid, why would he randomly shoot around the moment he has a gun when the girl is near him. A really perfect example of bad writing. The ending isn't much better either with the guy from the beginning randomly reappearing all of a sudden at the evil guys' place. Monroe certainly tried to make a shocking film here, but completely failed. Cumberbatch proves once again that he is an actor without much range. The only somewhat okay performance was the bad guy, although he was 100% stereotypical as well. Do not watch.

the presence of Benedict Cumberbatch is only good point. but it is far to be enough. the story is confuse and when it seems clear it is silly. the tension, the fight scenes, the dialogs, the ambiguous end , each must conquer different sort of public. and that purpose remains unrealistic. than, it is a slice from a story not a story itself. a kind of salad with too many ingredients, without of credible taste. and the great error remains the generous possibilities of story. the idea is not bad , the cast and a more inspired script could be ingredients of a decent movie. but a Prometheus is more important than story. and art of confusion , so large...

This is the most beautifully produced and brilliantly acted student film I ever saw. It is also, despite the high-quality talent, a mess and muddle of a film. The villains are hackneyed stereotypes, the dialogue cliché-ridden and the character actions incomprehensible. The directing is so poor that at the pivotal moment of the film, the action we need to see is out of frame. Loyal Cumberbatch fans will surely praise it to the heavens and his extraordinary talent is on display, but it's simply not much of a story and poorly told, at that, with the very serious issue it touches on at the end handled in an offensively shallow manner.

10 out of 10 for the acting, the cinematography, music, and directing. This stunning short thriller grabs you by the throat and won't let go.Benedict Cumberbatch is superb - nuanced and physically adept - as the vulnerable yet powerfully skilled ex-soldier (appears to be special forces from his formidable combat skills) and yet his life is a wreck; he gets a nasty text from a date and lives in a hell hole. The character is intriguing and begs for further development.The action and suspense are handled beautifully by all. Where this film could use some help, however, is in the writing. Neither the characters nor the storyline are developed (at least to this viewer's satisfaction) and while I was riveted throughout, the ending left me with the kinds of questions that suggest less an artistic choice than an omission. With the addition of a writer in the same league as everyone else in this film, this production company will know no bounds. I look forward to the next offering from Sunny March. Meanwhile, LITTLE FAVOUR is definitely worth watching. An excellent debut.