Olivia Wilde takes on dual roles as director and star in the new film ‘The Invite,’ appearing alongside Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton in a strangely poignant narrative. Seth Rogen’s distinctive levity is credited with grounding the film’s more outlandish plot developments.
This four-way sex comedy of embarrassment evokes the style of a JB Priestley play about swinging, yet it manages to be not only embarrassing but also intriguing, amusing, and ultimately, unexpectedly moving.
The film offers a satirical look at middle-class married life through the lens of two couples enduring an excruciating dinner party. A struggling musician, Joe, played by Seth Rogen, and his wife, Angela, portrayed by Olivia Wilde (who also directs), extend an invitation to their sophisticated neighbors: Piña, a therapist played by Penélope Cruz, and Hawk, an ex-firefighter played by Edward Norton. Rogen stands out among the ensemble, acting as an ironic insider-outsider who consistently deflates the escalating absurdities of the situation with his knowing jokes, exclamations of disbelief, and signature laugh.
Screenwriters Will McCormack and Rashida Jones clearly delight in crafting setups for Rogen’s witty punchlines. Without Rogen to lighten the film’s mood, the proceedings might have felt overly artificial and forced. The movie is an adaptation of the Spanish film ‘The People Upstairs,’ directed by Cesc Gay, which itself originated as a stageplay. A Korean remake of the original movie has already been produced.
Rogen’s character, Joe, was once part of a band called the Onslaught but now teaches music at a small liberal arts college and resides in his late parents’ apartment. He grapples with depression and a psychosomatic back issue, with his off-camera 12-year-old daughter being the sole source of joy in his life. Angela (Wilde) meticulously prepares an ‘elaborately casual’ gathering for their ‘supercool’ neighbors, Piña (Cruz) and Hawk (Norton), much to Joe’s bewildered annoyance. Angela’s stated reason for the invitation is to apologize for the noise from their recent home renovation. However, Joe, in his passive-aggressive manner, intends to prompt Piña and Hawk to apologize for their own inconsiderately noisy and uninhibited sex, which has been keeping him awake.
The topic of sex soon steers the conversation in unforeseen directions. Cruz and Norton skillfully portray Piña and Hawk as intimidatingly, effortlessly bohemian, and progressive. They have an irritating habit of reverting to Spanish in front of their hosts, a rude practice that nonetheless makes them appear impossibly cosmopolitan and suave. While Piña and Hawk remain serenely composed and supremely confident, Angela and Joe are depicted as flustered and tense, mortified and irritated by how provincial they are made to feel. This setup seemingly paves the way for a significant culture clash, yet the outcome is not quite what is expected.
In some respects, ‘The Invite’ is a boisterous, argumentative, and hyperactive film. It takes time to find its rhythm, initially featuring a jarring musical score that punctuates almost every line of dialogue—an oppressive stylistic choice that fortunately does not persist for long. The movie is undeniably broad, theatrical, and contrived, with mood shifts that are almost like dinner-theatre in their abruptness. Nevertheless, Rogen’s comedic prowess ensures that the sheer outrageousness of the plot’s twists and turns remains enjoyable.
‘The Invite’ draws comparisons to Roman Polanski’s 2011 four-hander ‘Carnage,’ adapted from Yasmina Reza’s stageplay, and also to Francis Veber’s play and film ‘Le Dîner de Cons,’ which was remade as ‘Dinner for Schmucks’ starring Steve Carell. There seems to be an enduring appeal in the concept of bourgeois individuals experiencing embarrassment over dinner. ‘The Invite’ is genuinely funny, and Rogen delivers a top-tier performance.
