After the highly controversial Don’t Worry Darling, Olivia Wilde had limited options for what her next directorial effort would be. Would she return to the coming-of-age storytelling that made her directorial debut, Booksmart, so refreshing? Would she continue chasing original studio blockbusters, despite Don’t Worry Darling bombing critically and financially? Or would she take a step back, reset, and make something completely different? Surprisingly, she chooses the last option. Learning from the mistakes of her previous film, Wilde delivers one of the biggest rebounds in recent memory with The Invite, an insightful, deeply funny, and emotionally devastating film that ranks among the year’s best.
Whether Joe (Seth Rogen, The Studio) and Angela (Olivia Wilde, Don’t Worry Darling) want to admit it or not, their marriage is falling apart. When we first meet the couple in their recently renovated San Francisco condo, they’re constantly at each other’s throats. They bicker over the smallest issues such as forgetting the wine, a broken bicycle, even the color of their bedroom walls. There is barely a moment of peace in their home. Even at night, they’re denied any respite as their upstairs neighbors, Pina (Penélope Cruz, Parallel Mothers) and Hawk (Edward Norton, Fight Club), keep them awake with loud sex that carries into the early hours of the morning. Joe and Angela are permanently on edge, exhausted, and seemingly one argument away from an emotional breakdown.
In a last-ditch attempt to bring some normalcy back into their lives, they invite Pina and Hawk over for dinner. What they don’t realize is that their neighbors are swingers, and they interpret the invitation as a sign that Joe and Angela are interested in exploring their relationship. Initially, the idea excites the couple as hormones begin raging through their bodies. Their sex life has been nonexistent for over a year, and the possibility of something new deeply entices them. But as the flirtation escalates, the fragile foundations of everyone’s relationships begin to crack, exposing long-buried insecurities, resentments, and guilt.
On paper, there are two obvious directions a film like this could take. One is to become a sex-positive romantic comedy about an on-ice couple rediscovering their passion for one another through an open relationship. The other is to use that premise as a way to explore the complexities, compromises, and emotional fragility of long-term relationships. Wilde wisely chooses the latter. While The Invite is undeniably a hilarious, sex-positive comedy, beneath the laughs is a heartbreaking deconstruction of love, communication, and intimacy.
As the flirtations unfold, both relationships are dissected. Pina and Hawk have both experienced failed marriages and difficult relationships before finding each other. Pina is a sexual psychologist and Hawk is a former firefighter. Their partnership is built on honesty, communication, healing, and embracing life’s pleasures. They aren’t perfect, nor do they pretend to be, but they understand and respect each other in a way that feels genuine.
Joe and Angela, on the other hand, are in a very different, much rockier place. It’s obvious they once loved each other deeply, but years of resentment and emotional neglect have eroded their once strong foundation. Instead of confronting their problems, they enable each other’s worst instincts. Neither party is willing to take responsibility for their role in the collapse of their marriage. Rather than seeking help from a couples therapist or having the difficult conversations they desperately need, they choose to wallow in their shared unhappiness. Deep down, they both know it, but neither is willing to say it aloud.
Wilde brings all of this to life through sharp, intelligent dialogue and exceptional performances from the entire cast. It’s even more impressive when you consider that the film largely unfolds in a single location and relies almost entirely on extended conversations in the small confines of a condo. Rather than feeling stagey, Wilde uses the confined setting to heighten the tension, allowing every exchange to reveal another layer of everyone’s relationship. Every scene pulls you further into these flirtatious conversations as the two couples slowly dissect their relationships. It’s a remarkable showcase of Wilde’s confidence as a director and is one of the film’s greatest strengths.
Overall, The Invite is an incredibly smart, funny, and heartbreaking film about relationships. What initially appears to be a straightforward sex comedy gradually reveals itself to be something far more thoughtful and emotionally resonant. Brilliantly directed, sharply written, and superbly acted, The Invite is one of the year’s best films and a triumphant return to form for Olivia Wilde.
My Rating: A
The Invite is now in theaters nationwide.
Leave a Reply