Joe and Angela’s marriage is on thin ice. When they invite their enigmatic upstairs neighbors for a dinner party, the night spirals into unexpected places.
Chuck says:
There’s no telling how many unspoken insults or criticisms exist between Joe and Angel. Granted, there are times when they may mutter them to themselves and after a long day, a harsh observation might be blurted out. But by and large, the disappointments they have about each another are left unsaid. Neither wants to deal with the fallout such revelations would precipitate, neither has the energy to hash their troubles out and neither wants to deal with what their grievances actually say about themselves.
Such is the set up for Olivia Wilde’s pointed and poignant “The Invite,” a remake of the Spanish film “Sentimental.” Sharply written, brilliantly acted and constantly surprising, the film is a captivating collection of manic comic moments and biting dramatic revelations that result in a stark, moving portrait of modern relationships. Attacking the adaptation penned by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack, Wilde displays the same skill and confidence she employed in her underrated “Don’t Worry Darling.” However, this time out, she displays a firm hand in fostering a barbed sense of humor as well as genuine drama with material that requires a deft touch.
Joe (Seth Rogan) is far from happy. Out of shape and stuck in a job he hates, what he wants most of the time is to be left alone. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen on the evening in which the film opens as his wife, Angel (Wilde) has invited the upstairs neighbors for dinner. Bad enough company is coming but that it’s Hawk and Pina (Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz) only make matters worse. Their sexual activity has become particularly raucous as of late, so much so that Joe and Angel can hear them.
It becomes obvious that they are both preoccupied with all that goes on in the apartment above, though resentment is at the core of what drives them both. Whereas Joe wants to confront them and ask that they tone things down, Angel is curious as to just what goes on between them. Thankfully, Hawk and Pina are more than eager to share details about their love life, so much so that by the end of the evening they’ve invited their hosts to participate in an intimate group activity with them.
However, before this happens a great many truths are revealed, putting a new light on Hawk and Pina’s intentions and Joe and Angel’s discord. While there is a manic quality at times in the storytelling and acting, Wilde never lets things spin out of control, her pacing perfectly attuned to the script’s roller coaster nature. Comic moments lead to dramatic ones again and again, none of them seeming disingenuous or calculated.
This isn’t the first rodeo for any of the four principals and each bring their A-game to their respective characters. Each are required to convey a variety of emotions and their collective sincerity provides the story with the emotional truth necessary for its success. As expected, each shine when it’s their turn in the spotlight, Cruz’s intelligence and sexuality used to proper effect, while Wilde brings a sense of humor she should employ more often. If there any surprises, it’s that Norton conveys a degree of vulnerability that’s rare among his characterizations while Rogan impresses by displaying the dramatic chops necessary to keep on even footing with his co-stars.
No magic solutions are provided for what ails Joe and Angel. They’re problems are all too common and often good unaddressed. However, there is a pearl of wisdom regarding the ability, if enough love and respect remain, to start over. While “The Invite” doesn’t sugarcoat the problems it addresses neither does it take a Pollyanna-like approach in the solutions it suggests. Though much of its humor may be based on pain, the hope it offers is conveyed with a sincerity that’s impactful.
3 1/2 Stars
