“The Invite”, a biting comedy by Olivia Wilde featuring a stellar cast
The highly anticipated American film starring Seth Rogen, Penélope Cruz, Edward Norton and the director herself is screening at Locarno
A comedy was one of the standout highlights of the first week of this year’s Locarno Film Festival: *The Invite*, Olivia Wilde’s third film as a director, had the Piazza Grande in stitches – that magical setting which is always the great added bonus of this famous Swiss film festival.
Following *The Revenge of the Losers* (2019) and *Don’t Worry Darling* (2022), the famous American actress has returned behind the camera for what is, to date, undoubtedly her most successful feature film. “The Invite”, a remake of the delightful 2020 Spanish comedy “Sentimental”, tells the story of a couple – played by Olivia Wilde herself and Seth Rogen – whose marriage has become worn down by the daily grind. One day, however, just like any other, she invites their noisy upstairs neighbours – a charming and uninhibited couple, played by Penélope Cruz and Edward Norton – round for dinner, and they end up being drawn into something they could never have imagined.
However, Cesc Gay’s *Sentimental* is not the only main point of reference for *The Invite* (it should also be noted that the Spanish film has already had several remakes, including the 2022 Italian film *Vicini di casa*), but Woody Allen’s films also spring to mind, as do the many films set entirely within a single flat, depicting relationship crises (from *Carnage* to *Perfetti sconosciuti*, to name but a few).
For all these reasons, “The Invite” certainly doesn’t stand out for its originality, but it miraculously manages to mask the limitations of a familiar plot thanks to the excellent pacing the film maintains throughout.
Intelligent entertainment
This biting and irreverent comedy features a series of truly clever jokes, ranging from amusing double entendres to spats between the couple that are as realistic as they are hilarious.
