The Invite

Director: Olivia Wilde
Starring: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton
Running Time: 107 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

Of the three films Olivia Wilde has directed, The Invite feels like a breakthrough of sorts, especially for those previously unconvinced of her skills behind the camera. But if that's not enough, we're also reminded here just how engaging an actress she is, directing herself to one of her best performances. So even those joking that she didn't have a high bar to clear after Don't Worry Darling would find it difficult to deny this tidy, low budget sleeper took serious skill to make, especially given its challenging setup. 

It's easy to imagine another filmmaker failing to navigate all the tonal shifts present in Will McCormack and Rashida Jones' witty, thought provoking script, but Wilde manages it, keeping viewers anxiously hooked on the psychology of these characters for the duration of its running time. Though it starts with an invitation, the film's title comes to have another meaning as signals get crossed, lies and jokes are told, weed is smoked and arguments break out at a moment's notice between two couples with very different expectations about how the night will play out.       

Failed San Fransisco musician Joe (Seth Rogen) works as a jazz band teacher at a local school, coming home late to discover his wife Angela (Wilde) has invited upstairs neighbors Piña (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton) over for dinner at their apartment. While the plans were supposedly ironed out a while ago, a tired, cranky Joe demands Angela reschedule as she frantically puts the finishing touches on the meal, spawning a heated argument. 

When Piña and Hawk arrive, awkward small talk leads to uncomfortable tension as the couples feel each other out. With a panicked Angela doing her best to impress their guests, an unfiltered Joe shares exactly what's on his mind, no matter how rude or inappropriate. But with Piña and Hawk indicating they came for reasons unrelated to dinner, an oblivious Angela and Joe prove too busy arguing to take the hint. By now, their marriage has deteriorated to the point that even this welcome jolt of excitement from their neighbors may not be enough to repair the damage they've already inflicted on each other. 

From the minute an aching Joe struggles to fit his folding bicycle through the door, he and Angela's bickering begins. Whether it's about him removing his shoes before entering, their shortage of wine or his plans to devour the "twenty pounds" of cheese intended for their guests, everything's a potential screaming match. As a desperate Angela stresses about winning over the neighbors, she soon finds herself in the throes of a full-blown panic attack, only made worse by Joe's sarcastic, passive aggressive insults. 

Joe's a self-loathing complainer while Angela's wound way too tightly, on pins and needles worrying what her husband will say or do next. She's also given him instructions not to mention a specific complaint he has that could trigger a conflict with the guests. So of course Joe taunts her with that, at least until it's finally brought out into the open. His "complaint" really cuts to the crux of the film as the neighbors' true intentions are hilariously revealed, establishing this visit as more than just a friendly get together. 

While it's hardly a shock to anyone watching that Piña and Hawk are propositioning them for a four-way, Angela and Joe's befuddled reactions provide the real pay off. Capturing Angela's long brewing unhappiness with a marriage on life support, Wilde's never played such a hyper sensitive, insecure people pleaser, while a perfectly cast Rogen buries Joe's pain and regret behind a facade of self deprecating humor. They're also convincing enough as quarreling spouses that we buy them as once happy and in love, the fleeting glimpses of which are seen in a hazy opening flashback. 

Cruz and Norton are outstanding as these dinner guests who aren't nearly as perfect or normal as Angela's convinced herself. Cruz flies delightfully off the rails as the feisty sex therapist and a brilliantly eccentric Norton plays straight man to all the histrionics, complete with a self imposed character nickname that carries an odd origin story of its own. And if Angela and Joe's bumbling antics, constant fighting and ability to squander this proposal isn't enough to convince them of their incompatibility, it's possible these outsiders can.    

Eventually, Angela and Joe wake up to how bad it's gotten and realize there's probably more than enough blame to go around. They seem down for the count, if not for a tiny glimmer of hope suggesting their marriage isn't quite as doomed as it appears. But if that's true, the road back might require more work than either are willing to put in. 

It's somewhat cheap even mentioning Wilde's last directorial effort, but also necessary, highlighting how far she's come in the span of a single film. Even if Darling wasn't the creative catastrophe it's been painted as, it's still strangely impersonal, with fascinatingly weird elements that seem assembled by committee. Despite this looking visually indistinguishable from other similarly themed indies, it's at least the work of a filmmaker with a voice, capably juggling this four person entanglement within the confines of a single location. 

The Invite almost feels like the kind of twisted relationship comedy Woody Allen would have taken a stab at decades ago, and not just due to the presence of Rogen as leading man and a closing dedication to the late Diane Keaton. At first, its premise doesn't seem like much, but once the performances gather steam and Wilde gradually peels back its layers, there's real depth and unexpected tension bubbling just below the surface.