The Invite: A Highly Entertaining and Relatable Dinner Party
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Olivia Wilde returns to the directorial chair with an effort as marvelous as her freshman feature-length, “Booksmart.” “The Invite” is based on the Spanish language film “Sentimental,” by Cesc Gay. Alongside the clever helm of Wilde, is an equally brilliant screenplay by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack. All is what you’d expect from a film about a dinner party involving two couples: a calm (yet awkward) start, some hard-truth revealing moments as the evening progresses, then chaos ensues. But “The Invite” takes this narrative and gives it a fresh, relatable and delightfully engaging spin.
Olivia Wilde also stars as Angela, an art school graduate whose biggest accomplishment is her finely renovated and furnished San Francisco apartment. She is a high-strung wife and mother, who obsessively wants to impress her guests - both with culinary and home decor aesthetics. Her husband Joe (played by Seth Rogen), is an associate music professor - once an indie rocker - who is wounded by the fact that he’s not living his dreams of music stardom. Both individuals are clearly unhappy with themselves and each other. Enter the upstairs neighbors, Piña and Hawk (Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton). A happy, new age and light-on-your-feet couple whose public displays of affection are plentiful enough for everyone in the room. Piña is a psychotherapist/sexologist and Hawk is a former firefighter.
What is most pleasing about “The Invite” is the familiar tone. It feels like a funny version of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf.” In addition, there are interior window shots that are very reminiscent of the ones in “12 Angry Men.” It is obvious that Wilde pulled from many of her filmmaking inspirations. As far as acting, her Angela unravels throughout the film, in a raw, thoughtfully unhinged and sincere fashion, which has a Diane Keaton performance familiarity. And by the way, “To Diane” appears on-screen before the end credits. A career-best for Seth Rogen, his Joe is wisecracking and curmudgeonly with heart (almost like Larry David). Edward Norton’s Hawk has a cheesy, pretentious and guru-like quality (yet still charming). And Penélope Cruz’s Piña is brash, bold and provocative, which is when I feel the actor is at her best.
The four performers have incredible chemistry and each have their very own definingly memorable moments, both profoundly and comically. The dialogue flows seamlessly and authentically, and at times, with much surprise hilarity. What makes “The Invite” so good is not only its highly entertaining factor, but I think viewers will see themselves as they watch it. There’s a lot of beauty in seeing what’s good and truthful about oneself in film. Lastly, it may be a little early to predict, but I feel some award season love.
Fun fact: “The Invite” premiered earlier this year, very successfully, at Sundance. A long and intense bidding war ensued. A24 ultimately won distribution rights for over $12 million!
