Little Favour (2013) User Reviews

Well done though really, really bloody and violent.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 18 April 2014]

The summary of this film listed on IMDb sure says a lot more about the plot than you'll see when you watch "Little Favour"--a lot more. All this back story is absent in the short and so it's not exactly what you might expect.

As to the story, it's very, very simple. Two men meet (one is Benedict Cumberbatch) and the other asks Wallace to do him a little favor--watch his kid. The kid is a girl who appears to be about 11 years-old. Soon after the pair arrive at his place, however, a ninja(?) and some other baddies invade the apartment. After putting up a good fight, Wallace is taken prisoner and horribly beaten. Then, surprising things happen--but I really cannot say more.

The film is a pretty bloody mess--and folks may squirm at seeing all the blood. I didn't enjoy all the killing and gore, though the story was extremely well produced and directed. Patrick Viktor Monroe is a relative newcomer and did a nice job--though I do wonder HOW he got Cumberbatch for the film, as this actor's career has been super-mega hot lately and a new filmmaker could never afford someone of his stature. Worth seeing but very, very dark and gruesome.

Technically excellent

[EmeraldMaz · 8/10 · 25 February 2014]

I was convinced to watch this after reading the summary here on IMDb, and if I'm honest, I would probably say that the summary perhaps overshoots the film a little.

That said, the evident acting is brilliant and the camera-work and editing were excellent. The score, too, was excellent. Fully engaging and brutally so. I was never distracted from it, but instead my mind was locked into it.

I only think that there was perhaps something missing - despite myself, I couldn't pinpoint exactly what it is (which irritates me, as that's no help at all).

I was left with a feeling of needing more, but perhaps that is what we are meant to be left with. It's a slice, but we don't get to taste the rest of the apple.

(Edit: Upon rewatching, I found that I missed a lot in my first viewing. This is largely due to sound - there's a lot of dialogue that I missed when played without headphones, though whether that's my fault or the editors (or a combination thereof) I don't know. That said, I've got more appreciation for the story, now. I suggest keeping the volume up when watching.)

Cumberbatch is superb, Monroe debuts powerfully, an engrossing thriller

[BonMacB · 9/10 · 4 November 2013]

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.

Brilliant Short

[realvedmak · 10/10 · 7 December 2013]

Version I just saw was 18 minutes long (plus credits).

When it comes to short movies I never know what to expect. Sometimes great things can be done in little time on screen. Usually I see short films as part of some sort of compilation, like ABC's of Death.

Its hard to give review for this film without revealing plot.Its quick, action paced movie, constant action for most of it, and its one of those things you either love or hate, nothing in between.

I found beginning bit vague, the first three minutes, but its quickly apparent what happens why, then we have masterfully executed plot twist, and great ending.

I want to see more from makers of this.

Exciting and Mysterious!

[vivbat25 · 10/10 · 15 January 2014]

I watched this not knowing anything about it and i absolutely love it! The story is brilliant and i was not expecting the direction it was taking.

It's specially good the acting. Every actor does an amazing performance. The girl does a transformation that i was not expecting. Benedict does an amazing job acting and producing.

I wish it was longer and the characters were more developed. But in the end it was an amazing experience, 20 minutes that i shall repeat a lot times to come.

recommend it to everybody!

More Student Film than Professional Short

[sleggin · 3/10 · 10 January 2014]

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.

Surprisingly amazing!

[Achyut_Prashast_Singh · 10/10 · 21 June 2020]

I found this film a few hours ago, and without reading much, I just looked at the genre and the lead actor. I decided to watch it once I found it, and the film was really good! Benedict Cumberbatch did a great job as an action hero, and the fight sequences were beautifully choreographed. It's really captivating, although the end might leave some a bit confused. Still, it's made very well and a couple more rewatches might clear the air. Wish to see Benedict in more raw and fresh action-thriller films like this.

Solid yet conventional Shortfilm

[jou-dahlke · 5/10 · 4 January 2014]

This review doesn't contain major spoilers, yet may hint at some plot points, especially the big twist.

I wasn't overly impressed by this short. No doubt, it's a well made short, with solid acting and some beautiful shots. Yet neither the (many) action scenes really convinced me through innovative shots and the roughness of it just seemed a little bit fake, nor the "story" really, which is just there to justify the action.

There is one big twist towards the end, that plays with the typical action flick cliché of the man being the savior and the little girl being the one that he needs to protect. The twist wasn't to expect and was pulled off nicely, so that's a big plus. So calling the short "conventional" may seem a bit odd. But:

Sadly, it seemed like the short staged everything to just get to that twisty moment to be like: "Well how about that, now look at that twist, isn't that clever? That makes the whole short brilliant, doesn't it?"

No, it doesn't. And what the hell does all of it mean, why are we watching this twist, what's behind it? Those questions don't get answered.

By the way: When you can get Cumberbatch to play a role in your short, give him something to act! Really now, giving him that little (looking cool, looking beaten up, looking confused)... that's almost a sin.

Overall still a solid short, well done! Just not that outstanding.

Makes absolutely no sense.

[dbailey-59881 · 1/10 · 8 April 2015]

This film makes absolutely no sense. Everything about it was average and an incredible cliché. I thought Nick Moran's character was shockingly poor and unoriginal, the run-of-the-mill Russian mobster but with a dreadfully bad accent. The title design was a disgrace, they used the same cheap font in the poster as the titles!! Overall I'm disgusted given the fact the production raised over 80K for this film on Indiegogo and I've seen far superior shorts over the past fews years, made into features even, for less than 10K. I sincerely hope this doesn't become a feature because the screenplay is nothing special and it's unfair for other filmmakers that don't have connections (i.e. Cumberbatch) who are trying to make a name for themselves.

Very unfavorable for everybody involved

[Horst_In_Translation · 2/10 · 28 August 2015]

"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.

maybe, good intentions

[Vincentiu · 15 March 2014]

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...

Needed to read the storyline on IMDB after watching this short film to understand the whole story.

[XueHuaBingYu · 3/10 · 13 December 2021]

I understand that the short films are a bit limited to describe the whole story, so, it rarely has the whole story in it. As it says in this review's title, this short film doesn't have any prologue and so, while I was watching, I didn't have any idea what I was watching at, such as why those people are looking for James and also what this short film is all about. And then I came here to rate the film and found out the storyline and I read it. Then I know what this is about.

If it has some explanation about the story in the short film, it'd be better.