The Invite

Last night my nephew and I went to the Broadway to see The Invite.  This movie got a lot of buzz at Sundance this year so I was really excited and it definitely lived up to the hype!  Joe (Seth Rogen) is a former musician who now teaches at a third-rate music academy and Angela (Olivia Wilde) is a bored stay-at-home mom who fills her days by endlessly remodeling and decorating their apartment.  They bicker back and forth until their upstairs neighbors, Pina (Penelope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), arrive for dinner.  Angela tries way too hard to impress them and Joe resents their intrusion but, after several extremely awkward encounters, they eventually become titillated by Pina and Hawk's unconventional sex life.  When Pina and Hawk invite them to participate in one of their orgies, everything that is wrong with Joe and Angela's relationship is revealed and they must decide whether they want to separate or make the changes needed to remain married.  This is absolutely hilarious (I don't think there was an empty seat in the theater and the audience laughed out loud through the entire runtime) and I especially loved a scene that cuts back and forth between Joe asking Pina how she knew when a relationship was over and Angela asking Hawk to help her make an important decision because it subverts expectations in a highly amusing way!  This is also an insightful and thought-provoking exploration of how couples can become disconnected and lose intimacy within a marriage (the ambiguous ending is quietly devastating).  This reminded me of a play performed live on stage because it takes place in one location in real time with an emphasis on dialogue rather than action.  However, this structure is surprisingly compelling because the scenes are framed in an incredibly dynamic way, particularly one in which the couples are placed opposite each other against the cased opening to the dining room to highlight the distance between them, and the dialogue is very witty with brilliant performances that feature perfect timing (Rogen is outstanding).  I really enjoyed this and I am sure that it will be among my favorites this year.