Contrary to some other film festivals out there, standing ovations don’t happen all of the time at Sundance. And, to be fair, getting one doesn’t mean the movie was necessarily great or will be a box office smash. But in the case of Olivia Wilde’s hilarious, rapid-fire marital comedy The Invite, I think both things are true. Wilde’s third time behind the camera, and a welcome return to comedy for the first time since Booksmart, the film is also a rebound from her polarizing suburban satire, Don’t Worry Darling. Underneath all of the witty one-liners, this is also a film that packs quite an emotional wallop, exploring love and sex between a longtime married couple that has lost that spark, and maybe needs a bit of neighborly advice to get it back.
An English-language remake of Cesc Gay’s Spanish comedy The People Upstairs, Wilde’s The Invite was shot in sequential order, something that is rarely done nowadays. It allows for a natural flow and an easier ratcheting up of sexual tension, of which there is plenty. Initially, Wilde wasn’t planning to take a role for herself, but it was to our benefit that she did. She plays Angie, a neurotic San Francisco mom who obsesses over every detail in decorating the apartment she shares with her miserable husband, Joe, played by Seth Rogen. Joe, after another sad day at work as a music instructor, and struggling to ride his bike uphill through the busy city streets, is not in the mood for company when he gets home. Too bad for him, because Angie has invited the upstairs neighbors over for cheese, meat, and wine. They have two of the three, which she considers a minor disaster. She swears she told Joe to pick up wine. He claims to not even know about this engagement. It becomes a whole, loud thing. They try to “reset” by having him come back through the door, an idea he scornfully asks if it came from some podcast. It did. He does it anyway. Doesn’t work. This is their dynamic. Old, squabbling married couple…except they aren’t that old.
The neighbors are Pina and Hawk, played by Penelope Cruz and Edward Norton. In contrast to Joe and Angie, they are passionate and hyper-sexual to the point that Joe complains frequently about their wild, animal-like fucking, which they can hear through the walls. Angie. The neighbors are open and honest, they communicate, but most importantly, the sex is REALLY FUCKING GOOD! Angie wishes she could have loud orgasms like Pina has all…of…the…time.
The evening consists of numerous awkward encounters, seemingly frivolous arguments hiding deeply-rooted problems, and uncomfortable amounts of information about sexual proclivities. Angie is jealous of Pina’s orgasms, Joe hates Hawk’s ridiculous name, his past as a firefighter, and his weird obsession with rugs. Every time Joe tries to bring up the loud sex he wishes he couldn’t hear, Angie shoves something else into his mouth. It doesn’t stop him from trying, though.
Written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, their latest look at a failing marriage after Celeste and Jesse Forever back in 2012, The Invite does so with a dizzying amount of humor and raw honesty. Wilde has never been this loose and free ever on the big screen, working with a high-wire anxiety that reminds one of the late Diane Keaton, to whom the film is dedicated. Along with Rogen, they hit that perfect note of baked-in tension and offbeat camaraderie that longtime couples achieve. When it’s revealed that Pina and Hawk are more than just untamed lovers, but considerably more open with their carnal activities, Angie and Joe suddenly become like partners-in-crime, eagerly working together to see their desires met for the first time in far too long.
Cruz and Norton are just as good together, with Pina and Hawk using charm and wit to push Joe and Angie way out of their comfort zones. Wilde has put together a powerhouse comedic quartet that moves easily between the constantly shifting tones. Only in the final moments, when the breathless tempo finally slows down, do you feel a bit of exhaustion creep in. But so what? Few movies will have you laughing as much as The Invite. This is the best work of Wilde’s career as a director and an actress, and when the credits roll, you’ll be eager to be invited back for more.
