Review by Michele E. Hawkins and John P. Harvey.

4/5

The wealthy Gallardo siblings, Teresa (Inma Cuesta), Benja (Diego Martín), and Aura (Sara Sálamo), grew up in a magnificent country house, cared for and loved by devoted Nanny Amparito (Luisa Gavasa).  For some years after leaving home, the siblings returned for holidays; but gradually they came less and less often, until Nanny Amparito, having faithfully maintained the house and waited for years in vain for their visits, has become no more than a distant memory.  Now she has died, and the siblings’ father, Carlos (Gonzalo de Castro), insists that his children spend the weekend in their childhood home to attend her funeral and pay their respects to Nanny Amparito’s son, Tomás (Alfonso Bassave).

Amparito’s will, though, asks of the adult children a favour that they cannot abide, whereupon her lawyer produces a letter to each of them from Amparito, horrifying them with her knowledge of their characters and their secrets.  Now they must weigh family pride against individual shame, and the fight is on.

Unfortunately for them, the lengths to which they go in order to deny or justify the truth of Amparito’s revelations just make things worse, things being said that would be better left unsaid, and actions bringing unpleasant (but hilarious) consequences to more than just the siblings.  But the secret that the siblings discover Amparito has taken to her grave finally emerges to horrify them most, and they close ranks and vow that nobody else must ever learn of it.

Following a path of selfish entitlement, counterfeit grief, and snobbery that takes the siblings through reversals and reprisals arising afresh from past deceptions and misdemeanours, Just One Small Favour tickles in all the right places, including well-deserved comeuppances for the three siblings, whose misfortunes throughout we can enjoy as necessities in reforming their characters.

Screening at Palace cinemas.