Written by: Will McCormack & Rashida Jones
Starring: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton
Rating: [4.5/5]
People find themselves in unhappy marriages all of the time. Presenting a story about this miserable circumstance for two individuals is not necessarily something new, but the way to frame it can make all of the difference. It also does not hurt to operate from a sensational screenplay, which we have here in The Invite. A film where a friendly invitation to upstairs neighbors unlocks something missing with our central married couple.
Arriving home from work already unhappy, Joe (Seth Rogen) learns from his wife Angela (Olivia Wilde) that their upstairs neighbors, Pína (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), will join them for dinner this evening. A complete surprise to Joe, but Angela hastily prepares for their arrival, and once they do, they begin to learn more about each other. They learn much more than they ever expected.
Married couples lose their flames all of the time for a whole litany of reasons. External circumstances can play a part, but ultimately it comes down to the couple to have a strong enough flame to withstand what comes in from the outside. The Invite attempts to dissect this very dilemma with Joe and Angela through a comedic lens and does so in spades. It never fails to surprise and ruthlessly entertains, even with all of the constraints it must naturally overcome. Set within a singular apartment and containing four characters logically puts the film in a place where the writing, acting, and blocking by the director needs to work well in order for the narrative to not feel claustrophobic or unengaging. Thankfully, this film had everything it needed and more.
Setting the scene for the night, the film opens with snippy remarks and complaints right as Joe arrives from work. Angela asks Joe to take off his shoes before entering the apartment, and he complains about a bicycle she got him to help ease some back pain that he absolutely hates. Prior to knowing where this film would go, it would indicate some light bickering between a seasoned married couple, but everything goes downhill pretty quickly, and whatever sat below the surface quickly comes right out upon the arrival of their invited guests.
The arrival of Pína and Hawk already makes Joe uncomfortable, given he did not want them to come over, as Angela pushed for this to happen because their upstairs neighbors wanted to see the new renovations done. With Joe already on edge with this whole situation, it sets up a time for many uncomfortable conversations that lie ahead, especially with Joe wanting to bring up his complaint of them having such loud sex up above. As you can imagine, Angela does not want her husband to bring this up, but it lies in waiting like Chekhov’s gun to eventually make itself known and impact the dynamic on display.
As these two couples exchange pleasantries and flow into their conversations, it presents two very different dynamics with relationships in very different places. Joe and Angela exude resentment between each other, while Pína and Hawk have this fluidity and openness to them. It begs the question of where the screenplay will take these characters next, and it becomes quite obvious wherein the conversation of sex comes into play. Sex hovers all around these initial conversations with the revelation of Pína working as a sexologist and Joe looking to confront their neighbors about the loud sex they have; a collision course proved inevitable and one that heightened the sexual tension in that apartment. However, while sex becomes a major topic of discussion throughout the film, it never loses sight of the core of why Joe and Angela’s relationship no longer works. Something better left for the viewer to discover as they go on this ride.
While having the bones of a drama, The Invite is nothing short of hilarious in the dialogue presented for these actors to deliver. Will McCormack and Rashida Jones’s script crackles and pops all the way through from the first conversation to the very conclusion. Such incisive dialogue as these characters prod and pierce each other through their words with the intention to hurt but are also coated in a glaze of comedy that makes it effortlessly enjoyable. So many moments stand out where characters blurt out societal faux pas, and it delivers the exact feeling Wilde wants to induce not only in the characters within the story but also in the audience experiencing it from afar.
The cast overall shines as they play a particular piece of this overall constructed puzzle. Seth Rogen plays Joe exceptionally as he hits the comedic timing perfectly with all of the offhand comments made. His comedic acting chops came into play perfectly to give the humor of this character but also the deep sadness hiding right below the surface for him. Penélope Cruz as Pina is sublime, as expected, bringing a sexuality and cunning to the table as Pina tries to continually read the situation at hand. Edward Norton as Hawk does great in providing more comedic relief but can come in with an emotional haymaker when necessary. Not a singular weak spot amongst this cast, which sets the stage to provide effusive praise towards the one behind it all, Olivia Wilde.
Long have I admired Olivia Wilde as a performer and was completely taken aback by her directorial debut, Booksmart. She has proven herself a sensational talent in front of and behind the camera, and she proves that once again here. As Angela, she maintains this manic look about her the entire time as she exudes this nervousness and unrequited desire about her. She proved difficult to look away from as everything about her remained dynamic for the majority of the film. It certainly helps she directed the hell out of this movie. As mentioned before, this film naturally had some constraints to overcome, and she excelled in making this film zip on by and framing each scene so well. She’s truly a directorial stalwart and continues to prove she has the sauce.
Emotionally mature, narratively captivating, and uproariously funny, The Invite provides everything audiences should want from a relationship comedy. It unfurls some deep-seeded issues between this central couple while also providing plenty of grace along the way. Olivia Wilde continues to demonstrate her filmmaking abilities as she helps shepherd this incredible cast to create something absolutely scintillating and thoughtful.
Films with Josh 
