every year there are some quiet new releases that might not catch the attention of social media or the larger public. usually the reason is that they are not unique ideas that trigger discussion, but the invite is definitely not in that category. i have not seen much online about it and the screenings were quite empty, but i think it deserves so much more than this.

this is my first movie from olivia wilde the director (i refuse to watch harry styles as the main actor in anything) and what i can definitely tell you is that her directing presence on screen is quite powerful. she has style and leaves a unique mark on the final product which for some directors takes more than 3 films to come by and others never get there. the cast really shines here and the main reason is because they all seem to have fun. is it that hard? if you take some talented and well-established actors, put them in a room, give them a direction and let them shine, you get a really good film. it's that simple people. taking big names and inhibiting them with shitty scripts, uninterested directors or big-budget franchises never works. i saw many people complain about this exact aspect of this movie, specifically the improvisation that was done in many parts of the film, but i think it suits it extremely well. at the end of the day, the goal of the film is to take you into the private and intimate lives of two couples, so having real, human dialogue (even if it's cringe or boring) seems like a perfect fit.

the improv and the laid-back vibe of the actors is also rooted in the safe space that a director creates. this speaks again to the way olivia wilde decides to communicate and elevate the atmosphere through her trust in seth rogen, edward norton and penelope cruz. in a lot of ways, most of them positive, this feels like a student/low-budget project. it has a fixed location, 4 actors (one of which is also directing) and makes clever use of space in order to further develop the story. honestly, i have not been so surprised by the use of blocking, camera movement and shot selection in a very long time. and this is the sort of area in film that is really hard to innovate, but olivia wilde does something special here. the way the camera pans around and even the layout of the apartment helps so much with the plot and the way it unfolds. it knows when to make you claustrophobic and induce anxiety, but then it also knows when to let you breathe and listen to the characters open up.

the film is based on a play, which is quite obvious after you start watching it. what i don't understand is why this sort of art form is dying (to my knowledge at least). there is a lot of creativity that goes into taking a play and making it into an engaging and easy to follow film. i think olivia wilde takes the best parts about what makes this a play, most of them mentioned above, and leaves the ones that are too much for the big screen.

in order to execute a script and story that captures so many different emotions and changes of narrative, you have to be extremely precise. it's about this balance of weirdness and second-hand embarassment with comedic and dramatic moments that keep the plot going, while not revealing too much and keeping people on the edge of their seat. the dialogue feels intimate, authentic and their interactions are human. it feels like i am praising this film a ton, but truly the work of olivia wilde here, both as an actress and director, is tremendous.

the verdict

see if this still plays in cinemas around you and go watch it. it's like a visually dynamic melting pot waiting to explode with awkwardness. that's my best effort at describing it in a one-liner. olivia wilde knows ball, she does art.