Olivia Wilde’s latest directorial effort, in which she also stars, is called The Invite — and I’m sure there is a discussion to be had, possibly here, amongst people who do not care for it not being called The Invitation — and is basically a four-hander with her, Penelope Cruz, Edward Norton, and Seth Rogen. It’s getting decent reviews. She’s not a bad director. I saw Booksmart on a plane and it was fine — possibly better than fine, but nothing is really better than fine when you watch it on a plane, if that makes sense? — and Don’t Worry Darling was at least beautiful-looking, albeit a mess. However, leaving aside the gossipy drama associated with that one, I actually think that movie would have gone over better if the studio (or whoever it was) hadn’t gone SO far overboard on making sure everyone knew the details were A BIG SECRET. They made too big a deal out of it and it couldn’t deliver; The Sixth Sense, it was not. (I think all the interpersonal stuff probably HELPED it in the end because it made people curious.) Something simpler like this seems like a smart reset. Now if only we could improve things on the sartorial front.
