Have you ever started talking to a stranger at a party and become so captivated by the conversation that the rest of the night just seems to disappear? The Invite somehow recreates that sensation with only four cast members in 109 minutes. Olivia Wilde returns to direct for the first time since Don’t Worry Darling, and this is her strongest outing yet. The entire film takes place in the apartment of Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen). Visually, this poses a challenge, but some creative composition, mirror placement, and camera movement make it one of the best-looking projects of the year.
The entire four-person cast is incredible, and everyone gets a chance to shine. Olivia Wilde is given so much to do, and she excels at all of it. She’s able to communicate so much with her eyes and body language. Penelope Cruz is a scene stealer, every word that came out of her mouth demanded attention, and with good reason, the writing around her character is so well done. Edward Norton could make paint drying the most interesting thing in the world, he just has that charm. Seth Rogan was, of course, hilarious, but also managed to provide some of the most heartfelt moments. His chemistry with Olivia Wilde was almost too believable, and their bickering had some people in the audience laughing a little too hard.
Some of the funniest parts of the movie had nothing to do with comedy, but were so relatable that it was hard not to laugh. The marriage dynamic was very reminiscent of Modern Family, which won 22 awards for a reason. There are countless jokes that had my theater cracking up from start to finish, yet the humor never felt misplaced. It never ruined a sentimental moment and provided some comedic relief when it was needed, which was often with how tense some of these scenes can get.
Nothing shows off Olivia Wilde’s directorial talent like her tone control. The Invite manages to be the funniest of the year, while also having a dialogue on relationships and marriage that is sincere and genuine, and those ideas never step on each other’s toes. This is far from the first time we’ve seen a raw portrayal of love on the big screen, but what makes this stand out is how much it manages to accomplish in some simple dialogue. The script transitions from one idea to the next beautifully, ultimately resulting in a bittersweet ending that had tears from more than a few people.
Recommending this film can sound counterintuitive. Saying, “It’s just four people talking for about two hours”, is enough to turn some viewers away, but that simplicity is what makes it so fascinating. Movies have the power to transport the audience to alien worlds or a distant time, but sometimes showing them something genuine and raw is more than enough. With an incredibly sincere script , four outstanding performances, and some stunning visuals, The Invite is one of the best films this year.
4.5/5 Stars
