Olivia Wilde stars and directs The Invite with a cracking cast and a sharp script that asks how open an open relationship can be nowadays.
The definition of a relationship is more fluid than ever nowadays. Some people keep it simple with a traditional monogamous coupling. Others keep things loose by seeing other partners for a variety of reasons. Sometimes those other partners even come home with the couple (and a few others too). Though polygamy is more popular nowadays, it can still be hard for others to talk about. If some couples have trouble navigating their own sexual chemistry, imagine how they’d feel about welcoming others into their bed? According to The Invite, it makes for one helluva conversation.
Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen) are your typical post-90s couple: former art kids that fell in love young, got married, had a kid, and found a comfortable way of living in San Francisco. They’re also not doing great, with Joe disillusioned at a failed music career and Angela never getting the chance to pursue her dreams. Nevermind that though, because they’ve got company; Angela invited the coolest neighbors in their building over for dinner and she desperately wants to make a good impression. Why wouldn’t she: Piña (Penélope Cruz) is a smooth-talking sex therapist and her firefighter boyfriend is named Hawk (Edward Norton). More so, the new couple have an intriguing proposition for Angela and Joe that makes the struggling pair dig deeper into their relationship.
Scenes from a marriage.
It’s not clear what kind of director Wilde wants to be. She clearly likes comedy, with one genuine home run (Booksmart) and one so-bad-it’s-funny clunker (Don’t Worry Darling) under her belt. But whereas her first feature had the energy of a modern teen comedy and her second was posing as a glossy thriller, The Invite doesn’t have much technical flare to show. The two fanciest items on display are the playful score by Dev Hynes of Blood Orange and the framing. Wilde and cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra (The Last Black Man in San Francisco) do an exceptional job using the various archways, windows, and other items to showcase the walls closing in on everyone’s relationships. The space between the characters tells the audience about as much as any line of dialogue.
Photo Credit: A24
The script from Will McCormack and Rashida Jones (Toy Story 4) starts as a cringe comedy, builds towards something more playful, and ends on a note that’s somehow bittersweet and heartfelt. The Invite is actually for the latter couple to loosen up their feelings so they can come to a more startling question: do they love each other enough to let them go? There’s very little overt wackiness going on, as Angela’s awkward attempts to look cool for her guests are relatable for anyone with social anxieties. the movie also doesn’t overplay Piña and Hawk’s enlightened snobbery, showing them as two people just trying to have a good time. It’s Angela and Joe who are the more fascinating couple, so locked into the traditional views of marriage (or even just couple life) that they can’t see the forest for the trees. McCormack and Jones don’t see them or their guests as cliched yuppies, which helps make their relationship struggles feel all the more real (and frequently funny).
Swapping scene partners.
Props to Wilde for pulling double duty behind and in front of the camera, making her exasperated performance all the more impressive. The way she breathlessly delivers Angela’s stress and holds a smile on the verge of splitting her own face in half is something to be hold. It’s also a revelation for Rogen, another pigeonholed actor proving he can break out of his shell. The comedy veteran finds a way to mature into characters that can wear modern adult stresses on their faces while still having the affable stoner charm that got him a job in the first place. The Invite is a perfect fit for his current aura and he excels at mixing condescension with emotional vulnerability. He also manages to have chemistry with Wilde, Cruz, and Norton while never missing a second of comedic timing.
Cruz is another diamond in this casting crown as she glides through every scene with lines rolling off her tongue with ease. She rolls into every moment with a presence that’s leagues ahead of her scene partners and commands the frame even when sitting on the floor. Whether she’s playful with Rogen or powerful with the rest of the cast, she never loses her allure. Norton feels like the weak link in the cast, not for a lack of investment or delivery but just by playing the lightest role with the least impact on the story. Hawk is merely an agitator of Joe and Norton plays it perfectly, giving his trademark stage-tinged gravitas to the mundanity of a rug and wall paint for a laugh or two. He even puts himself firmly as Cruz’s no. 2 whenever they share a scene together.
The bottom line.
The Invite is one of the funniest movies of the year while also showing love in different ways. The cracking script, fun performers, and vision behind the camera all lock into each other like a well-oiled machine that works without a hitch. Even better is how that mechanical flow doesn’t sacrifice the tender heart at the center of the movie. It shows how the love two people have for each other can stay even if the terms of a relationship change over time. Some things just can’t be fixed with the right charcuterie board, and that’s ok.
The Invite is now playing in theaters everywhere. Watch the trailer below.
Images courtesy of A24. Read more articles by Jon Winkler here.
REVIEW RATING
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The Invite - 8/10
8/10
