Directed by: Olivia Wilde
Written by: Will McCormack and Rashida Jones
Run Time: 1 hour 47 minutes

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Olivia Wilde’s third feature as director, The Invite, has arrived in cinemas with little to no fanfare. It’s certainly not the reception most filmmakers would hope for, but in Wilde’s case, it’s perhaps a relief. Considering the media storm that engulfed her previous film, Don’t Worry Darling — the psychological thriller starring Florence Pugh and popstar Harry Styles at the height of his mercifully brief stint as an actor — this more understated release is surely welcome.

Her film follows married couple Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen), as they host a dinner party for their upstairs neighbours, Pína (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), whose late-night hanky-panky has been keeping them up to all hours. Joe sees this as the perfect opportunity to confront them about the noise, whereas Angela is desperate to avoid the topic, instead wanting to impress and befriend them. As the night unfolds, the couples awkwardly get to know each other, before things eventually take a more unexpected turn.

The time spent before this is far from the ideal dinner party Angela has imagined either. Joe arrives home from work having forgotten all about it, he hasn’t picked up any wine on the way, and the guests hear their hosts bickering before they’ve even made it through the door. Sure, not the smoothest of starts to their soirée, but an entertaining indication of the delicious drama to come. As while Angela and Joe are arguing every other sentence, the screenplay is precisely preparing the ingredients for the comedic banquet about to be enjoyed.

As the couples cautiously come together and the number of characters doubles, so do the laughs. Now with an audience, Angela and Joe’s turbulent dynamic becomes even more amusing. Joe’s refreshing frankness constantly clashes with Angela’s intense eagerness, creating an especially awkward atmosphere that their guests often exacerbate with unhinged and unwarranted reactions of their own. Yet, the four actors find a remarkable cinematic rhythm, despite their characters’ initial social incompatibility. A subsequent house tour pokes fun at the pretensions of Angela’s interior design, or at least Hawk’s interpretation of it, while Pína and Joe find common ground in his office over a joint. The comedy comes thick and fast, but it’s not unaccompanied, as a dramatic tension simmers throughout The Invite too — threatening to boil over at any given moment.

It’s this delicate pairing that makes Wilde’s film so diverting, having the ability to send its audience into hysterics one moment and then leave them utterly aghast the next. Better still, among all the chaos of this shambolic shindig, the script is set on serving up a searing commentary on relationships too. As Angela and Joe attempt to open themselves up to the progressive qualities of Pína and Hawk’s relationship — it’s half of what makes them so attractive — they’re forced to look at the inner workings of their own, even if by the end of the night’s illuminating events, they’re painfully obvious for all to see.

Admittedly, there’s nowhere really for them to hide, as bar a brief opening montage, The Invite is entirely set within Angela and Joe’s San Francisco apartment. It’s an appealing, lived-in space whose design and architecture lend themselves to the specifics of the narrative. And even if the walls can feel like they are closing in on the couples, Wilde never allows them to restrict her direction, utilising the space in a way that gives her setting a real sense of dimension and flow. It’s her most accomplished effort behind the camera yet, with her performance in front of it feeling just as confident.

There isn’t a weak link among the attendees though. And while they might not be the first four famous faces you’d think to invite in a dream dinner party scenario — the cast of Don’t Worry Darling  would undoubtedly make for a spicier evening — they excel at making this fictional fiesta a true night to remember.

Seth Rogen and Olivia Wilde are effortlessly out of sync with one another, layering the script’s quippy dialogue over each other like, well, an old married couple. Whereas Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton embody all the potential and excitement of a new, more passionate relationship. The four characters couldn’t be more different, but excellent comedic timing and wonderfully nuanced line readings are qualities all the performers share equally. The result is an ensemble that’s both comfortable with each other and the superb material they have to work with. Far longer could be spent with them, but like the best dinner party guests, The Invite does not overstay its welcome.

Thankfully, this isn’t at the expense of the all-important post-dinner deep chats and drinks, which here offer a more vulnerable third-act coda, unearthing the evening’s most earnest emotions. Still, never without the brilliant comedic edge that’s cut through the night so far, The Invite remains razor-sharp until its end. Not to hurt its characters, but to remind them of the whole point. After all, why should we accept misery when the things we love are right in front of us?

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Star Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★

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