Ed Norton and Penélope Cruz as a PDA-prone couple and Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde as their more repressed neighbors? Yes, please.
Wilde pulls double duty as director and star in The Invite, a stylish, character-driven dramedy that mixes sharp humor and emotional honesty. Wilde told a recent screening audience that she’d always wanted to make a film like this, in sequence and in one location with ample rehearsal time for an amazing cast.
Apart from a few San Francisco outdoor scenes at the film’s outset, as Rogen’s character rides his bike up and down the city’s famous hills, The Invite is entirely set inside one beautifully furnished and decorated apartment.
Written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, it’s a remake of the Spanish film The People Upstairs by Cesc Gay—and reminiscent of who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?
You might even call it, well, who’s afraid of a last-minute get together with the neighbors?
It turns out Rogen is, or more accurately, is strongly opposed to the other couple’s visit, whereas Wilde has practically killed herself prepping for it, buying all manner of delicacies, but somehow forgetting any wine.
The dearth of good liquor and substitutes for it become a running theme and the source of much comedy. So are Wilde’s effort to prevent Rogen from speaking his truth about the other couple’s boisterous, noisy lovemaking. Yet as you might expect, a good deal of the humor comes out of Rogen’s character’s mouth.
The film’s greatest strength is its ensemble chemistry, with awkward glances, uncomfortable silence and unexpected laughs sprinkled throughout. With her character, Wilde anchors the story with a performance that’s both vulnerable and quietly commanding.
Visually, The Invite has an effortless sophistication, set in a location that makes you want to move right in.
Most impressive is the balance of tone. The Invite shifts between comedy, suspense and heartfelt emotion with surprising ease, creating a movie that’s entertaining without sacrificing depth. It feels like the kind of smart adult entertainment that’s become increasingly rare in today’s theatrical marketplace.
The Invite had its world premiere at the Sundance festival earlier this year and will be released in select US cities on Friday,
