Olivia Wilde's feature directorial effort, The Invite, arrives in select theaters on June 26 before a wider release on July 10. The film, an adaptation of Cesc Gay's 2020 Spanish original "Sentimental," marks a significant step in artistic maturity for Wilde, showcasing a level of formal control absent in her previous works, "Booksmart" and "Don't Worry Darling."
Penned by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the movie centers on a middle-aged couple, Joe and Angela, whose strained marriage is put to the test when they host their charismatic upstairs neighbors for an evening that spirals into unexpected territory. What begins as a seemingly straightforward dinner party evolves into a pressurized examination of domestic dissatisfaction and sexual liberation.
Seth Rogen stars as Joe, a former musician now working as a music teacher, whose mundane life contrasts sharply with his high-strung wife, Angela, played by Wilde. Their dynamic is established early on with snappy, split-screen introductions, highlighting Angela's meticulous preparation for an evening Joe seems to have forgotten. The arrival of their eclectic neighbors, the self-assured firefighter Hawk (Edward Norton) and his free-spirited therapist girlfriend Piña (Penélope Cruz), sets the stage for an evening of forced honesty.
Wilde, who also stars in the film, effectively delays the guests' arrival and their eventual proposition, allowing the awkward atmosphere of Joe and Angela's brittle façade to simmer. Their interactions are laced with petty sniping, a stark contrast to the apparent harmony of Hawk and Piña, whose passionate intimacy has already been a source of contention for the hosts. The film leverages this tension, exploring the hosts' discomfort with sexual liberation and their attempts to prove something to each other through increasingly awkward scenarios.
The visual language of The Invite, captured by cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra, imbues each conversation with a sense of urgency. Wilde's performance as Angela conveys deep-seated insecurity, portraying a woman struggling with her self-perception as a dissatisfied housewife. Rogen, as Joe, embodies a man on the brink of unhappiness, attempting to smooth over difficult moments with humor and deflection. Norton and Cruz, as Hawk and Piña, provide a fascinating counterpoint, exuding confidence and sexual openness, yet subtly maneuvering toward an agenda of their own.
Composer Devonté Hynes' score mirrors the characters' emotional states, shifting from jagged to melodic, eventually building to the seductive tones of Bizet's "Carmen." This aesthetic sophistication, however, leads to a payoff that the film doesn't fully capitalize on. While Wilde's remake leans more into chemistry and sensuality than the original, it falters in providing Joe and Angela with a complete emotional resolution.
The film's climactic scenes, while energetic, struggle to maintain the initial momentum. As The Invite delves deeper into its characters' emotional cores, it occasionally becomes stilted, with conclusions that feel open-ended rather than definitively cathartic. This unsatisfying ending, however, might inadvertently reflect the stagnant nature of a failing relationship, presenting a conclusion that feels more like a chess game at a stalemate than a decisive victory.