The Invite: Film Gang Review

Relationships are the center of most of our lives, and marriage infiltrates and shapes our identity so fundamentally we can either get lost altogether or blossom in a unique, commingled unfolding. In The Invite Olivia Wilde’s third feature film, a weary suburban couple in their mid-40s, played by Olivia Wilde and Seth Rogen, have a comedically explosive encounter with their slightly older, aggressively bohemian neighbors, played by Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton, whose boisterous eroticism has penetrated the walls and their psyches, stirring their irritation and fascination. Angela and Joe, Wilde and Rogan’s characters, have become bitter and resentful, lost in some of the worst ways a marriage can devolve. Angela is insecure and controlling. Joe is defeated and cynical. Angela impulsively invites these noisy neighbors, Pina and Hawk, over for dinner, and Joe, coming home just before the surprise visit, is irked and resistant. Unbeknownst to them, Pina and Hawk have come with an invitation of their own, and what ensues is hilarious, discomfiting, revealing, and ultimately redemptive. The film would succeed well on the stage, and its production is as close to a stage play as film gets. Shot in sequence on a single set over 21 days, the actors worked collaboratively to shape the story as it unfolded before them. Because the film relies heavily on a single setting, the standout apartment set, designed by Jade Healy, plays a massive role in building the film’s tense, claustrophobic atmosphere. The color teal, in fact, almost feels like a character itself, and I wonder what it meant to the creators of the film. Another non-human character that speaks strongly within the story is the cello score composed by Devonté Hynes. If the subconscious could be voiced, this would be its language. The drama you witness on the screen is intimate and in your face, and you can feel yourself as a member of this disastrous, wondrous dinner party. Penélope Cruz, who plays Pina, is the embodiment of the enlightened, bold guide. She is not only a therapist, she is also an encouraging, sexy provocateur. Her partner Hawk is a gentle, curious adventurer, an intelligent fool who spurs the action towards boundary-breaking revelations. The Invite hits on multiple levels, and with its traipsing into somewhat taboo social territory, it invites the audience into deep explorations too. The squealing laughter I witnessed from the audience was not only in response to the actual comedy, wonderfully scripted by the creative writing duo of Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, but also, I am guessing, from the transgressive material confronting everyone watching from their uneasy seats. I am not sure that I would want to take part in such an evening, but sometimes we are lucky enough to stumble into insane and awkward situations that can open windows to parts of ourselves we have forgotten where we can pick up the notes to our song and perhaps sing them once more. For KSQD’s Film Gang: Christine Barrington