Accept The Invite

No one argues that feature films deserve movie theater viewing, but even as a reviewer, my schedules and timelines make it rough. As a result, I missed The Invite when it first came out.  Worse yet, my home screener and its streaming release came after I caught it in what should qualify as the worst scenario ever, an airplane. I even add another drawback.  The plane landed before the movie finished. Oddly, these inappropriate circumstances worked just fine, not at all hindering my view of the movie as one of the year’s best. Directing and starring as one of the four main characters in the story, Olivia Wilde catches the nuance of human interactions. This means lots of facial close ups, which work just fine on little airplane screens, especially when dealing with a superlative cast that also features Seth Rogen, Edward Norton, and Penélope Cruz. A drawing room comedy, The Invite lets Rogen run with his screen persona as a grumpy guy, in this case not at all pleased that his wife invited the neighbors over. After all, their noisy sex keeps him awake at night She, on the other hand, appreciates how beautiful and classy the couple seem. Farce steps in because the hosts know so little about entertaining, amusing and played with impeccable timing. Some edge begins when the neighbors confront Rogen about his resentment of their loud sex. And then…And then the plane landed. Okay, well, unlike a mystery, I could wait a week till my return flight. I quickly got back into the stopping spot and much to my surprise found The Invite going in a whole different direction. I love it when movies startle me. For this plot, it turns out the sophisticated couple have their own invitation, a sexual foursome. Talk more than action gets quite graphic, but again, perfect timing keeps it funny. Some serious observations come in, with a perceptive speech by Cruz, giving her the film’s standout moment amidst a set of performances that all work well. Laughs, insights, and fine acting make The Invite worth accepting.