Film reviews: The Invite is a razor-sharp and deliciously cringe-worthy comedy
Clockwise form left: Seth Rogen, Olivia Wilde, Penélope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite; The Minions return in Minions and Monsters; Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol in Nirvanna The Band The Show The Movie
★★★★☆
Actor-director Olivia Wilde tackles marital woes in the comedy-drama (16). Angela (Olivia Wilde) and Joe (Seth Rogen) appear to have it all — a great apartment, a smart daughter — but their marriage is stuck in a passionless rut.
Sex has all but disappeared, compliments are few and far between, and whenever they do talk, one of them is either not listening or gearing up for an argument.
Joe hates his job, having left a failed music career for teaching. Angela is tired of being a stay-at-home parent. Their frustrations only deepen their marital cracks.
Their new neighbours, Piña (Penélope Cruz) and Hawk (Edward Norton), are the complete opposite of Angela and Joe. They are in the throes of a passionate relationship; perhaps a little too passionate, if you ask Joe, who can’t sleep because of the couple’s loud and exuberant nocturnal activities. Angela, on the other hand, thinks it’s fantastic that at least one couple in the building still has a healthy sex life.
It’s yet another source of conflict between Angela and Joe. He wants to ask their neighbours to keep the noise down, while Angela is mortified by the very prospect of him doing so.
On this particular evening, Joe arrives home exhausted — as he does every day, another bone of contention in their marriage — and is greeted with the news that Angela has invited Piña and Hawk over for dinner. Joe insists Angela never told him about it, while Angela argues that he simply never listens to her. It is the kind of familiar, circular debate that many couples will instantly recognise.
Angela has arranged a spread of meat and cheese, which Joe immediately starts to pick at; you can imagine how that might go down.
By the time Piña and Hawk reach the front door, Joe and Angela’s argument has grown loud enough for everyone in the corridor to hear.
Angela is desperate to impress the chic Piña, but her eagerness only makes her seem awkward and self-conscious. Joe, meanwhile, takes an instant dislike to Hawk, who is everything he isn’t — cool, calm, confident, and effortlessly charismatic.
As the drinks begin to flow, however, Joe and Angela discover there is far more to their intriguing neighbours than first impressions suggest. When Piña and Hawk extend an unexpected invitation, the film shifts gears, spiralling through a maze of fantasies, possibilities, doubts, and temptations. But when fantasy collides with reality, will Joe and Angela have the courage to accept what is truly being offered?
is a razor-sharp comedy bursting with witty dialogue, rapid- fire exchanges, and laugh-out-loud one-liners. Its fast-paced conversations are punctuated by deliciously cringe-worthy moments of social catastrophe — those painfully relatable scenes where you can’t help but laugh while wishing the ground would open up and rescue the characters from themselves.
Powered by superb performances, is the funniest film of the year so far, and it will take something special to top it.
★★★★☆
The yellow mischief-makers are back in (G). In the film’s opening scenes, we learn that tribes of minions roamed the globe in search of evil bosses to serve. Each time they believed that they had found a worthy overlord, a minion caused chaos, forcing them to flee and continue their endless search for a new ruler.
The minions arrive in 1920s Hollywood, clueless about the booming film industry. On a set, they mistake an actor as a real tyrant. Eager to serve, they rush in, but unleash chaos — wrecking the set and sending LA into uproar.
Director Max (Christoph Waltz) fears telling the Bright Brothers — studio executives voiced by Jeff Bridges — that the footage is full of minions, but the brothers love it and demand more minion movies. The minions quickly become Hollywood’s hottest asset.
At the centre are minions James and Henry, two dreamers hoping to make films. But minions usually create chaos, so will they succeed in Hollywood or end up as dinner for a monster they conjure?
is 90 minutes of delightfully chaotic fun. Packed with nods to cinema throughout, it offers film fans plenty to enjoy in every frame. For younger audiences, the slapstick comedy and wonderfully wacky action sequences are sure to be a hit.
Best of all, it might just spark the imagination of a child who dreams of becoming a filmmaker.
★★★★☆
Originally a low-budget web series, became a cult hit that established creators Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol as acclaimed filmmakers.
Now they are back with . As with the series, Matt Johnson and Jay McCarrol play fictionalised versions of themselves: Struggling musicians obsessed with landing a gig at Toronto’s legendary Rivoli venue.
Convinced that one performance there will launch them to instant fame, they plan increasingly elaborate schemes to get noticed.
Their last plan is skydiving from Toronto’s CN Tower and parachuting into a packed baseball stadium. Predictably, the plan goes wrong.
Matt reaches an outrageous conclusion: The only way to achieve their dream is through time travel. Inspired by Back to the Future, he recreates the film’s famous flux capacitor. Against all logic, it actually works.
The pair are transported back to 2008, where they encounter their younger selves. Naturally, meddling with the past has consequences. Before long, Matt and Jay are ricocheting through different years and alternate timelines.
In one reality, Jay has become the successful musician he always hoped to be, while Matt is left behind, creating a big dilemma: Is fame or friendship more important?
In real life, Johnson and McCarrol have acknowledged that many jokes from their web series do not align with contemporary values. As a result, they intentionally worked to make the film as inoffensive as possible. This choice has led to an utterly charming film full of heart, gentle comedy, and moments of pure joy.
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