I knew what “The Invite” was going to be before I saw it, and I still loved it. I watched one trailer and I’ve never seen the 2020 Spanish film on which Olivia Wilde’s new movie is based. And yet, just through squinting at what the situation would be, I had the general shape of the entire story outlined. I turned out to be correct, but even knowing the overall narrative ahead of time did nothing to dull the incredible delights and raucous hilarity of “The Invite.” It’s a testament to the filmmakers (including the impressive cast) that even if you know what to expect, the jokes and dialogue and chemistry still land with aplomb. So even if the film isn’t groundbreaking, “The Invite” is certainly worthy of your time and attention.
Joe (Seth Rogen) arrives home after a long day of work teaching music as an associate professor at a small conservatory. Angela (Olivia Wilde), his wife, was busy all day preparing for a special event, and informs her husband of two facts:
- Their 12-year-old daughter is at a sleepover.
- The upstairs neighbors are coming over for dinner for the first time.
Soon Piña (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) arrive for the evening. As the night unfolds and conversations continue, the two couples learn a lot about each other and themselves. Grudges, tensions, secrets, and more come out over the course of the night as the foursome get to know each other.
Director Olivia Wilde, working from a script by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones (and based on a 2020 movie by Cesc Gay), turns a talky 100-minute movie into a gripping (but hilariously so) film that is powered by dialogue and performances but greatly aided by expert cinematography and stellar editing. DP Adam Newport-Berra and editors Anthony Boys and Yorgos Mavropsaridis do transcendent work by creating an intricate set of shots and sequences that either separate out the couples or join them in interesting ways, while highlighting the individuals present for the entire debacle. It’s a tricky task that the team pulls off to heighten the awkwardness or comedy or stress (or sometimes all three concurrently) in visual languages without calling attention to itself in any sort of flashy way. Instead, they are subtle ways that Wilde and company ratchet up the feeling of connection or isolation depending on the needs of the scene.
And while its clever visual stylings certainly aid the film, “The Invite” truly sails on the strength of its actors. A tight four-hander that could become dull or reductive (even if it’s mildly predictable), the movie finds ways to reinvent the dynamics amidst its sparse cast that lead to new comedic possibilities and character depths. Yes, you know going in that Rogen is going to be neurotic and awkward, with more than a bit of low-lying rage that is often revealed in vulgar ways. But his performance never feels obvious or pat, with his curmudgeonly nature feeling earned and his discomfort being earnest. Bouncing that off the effervescent Cruz leads to opportunities for hilarity but also greater insight into Joe. Or having Wilde play her own type of overenthusiastic neurotic, desperate for approval and excitement, clashes well with Rogen’s misanthropic aura while pairing in delightfully awkward ways with Norton’s all-too cool Hawk. Meanwhile, the couples feel like real couples, complete with complimentary aspects and tensions. It would be easy for “The Invite” to coast on personas of these actors, but the script finds ways to provide new revelations about their characters and new angles in which to perceive them as the night goes on.
“The Invite” is a throwback to smaller movies where character dynamics were the focus. Those found in the ‘70s and the indie boom of the ‘90s, where the audience is plunged into just one event with a small group of people and yet it’s as riveting as any giant blockbuster. And that’s a genuine testament to Wilde and the film she has crafted where even if you can telegraph what will happen along the way, it’s all done so well and so entertainingly that you cannot help but be engaged and absorbed by what’s transpiring. The surprises exist not in the journey or destination, but in the make-up of the players themselves and the facets of characters that are revealed, always true extensions of reality, not simply in service to some joke or line of snappy dialogue. “The Invite” may not be novel, but it is wickedly funny and deeply engrossing in a way matched by far too few contemporary films.
Rating: 4/5
Directed by: Olivia Wilde
Starring: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton
