Shadows on the Wall | You're Cordially Invited

You’re Cordially Invited

dir-scr Nicholas Stoller
prd Nicholas Stoller, Conor Welch, Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter, Will Ferrell, Jessica Elbaum
with Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Celia Weston, Jimmy Tatro, Stony Blyden, Rory Scovel, Leanne Morgan, Keyla Monterroso Mejia, Jack McBrayer, Fortune Feimster, Nick Jonas
release US/UK 31.Jan.25
25/US Amazon 1h49

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From Nicholas Stoller, here's another nutty romantic comedy aimed at grown-up viewers. This time, his target is the fractious relationships between members of two extended duelling families. Obviously, this provides plenty of opportunity for hilarity on a variety of levels. So even if most scenes have a tendency to tip far over the top into silliness and sentimentality, often at the same time. This is easy, unchallenging entertainment.

Adoring single father Jim (Ferrell) arranges for his daughter Jenni (Viswanathan) to marry her boyfriend Oliver (Blyden) at a small island resort that has a history in the family. But through a mixup it turns out that Margot (Witherspoon) has booked the wedding of her sister Neve (Hagner) and her fiance Dixon (Tatro) on the same date. When they both arrive on the fateful weekend, neither is willing to bend, but they agree to share the venue. For Jim and Margot, making space for each other while juggling their respective family's issues is a challenge.

Of course, everything conspires against making any of this go smoothly, from sudden rainshowers and rogue alligators to a rather repetitive string of tit-for-tat pranks. As these two families hang out in close proximity, they can't help but begin to impact each other. Witty touches abound, from the rather too-close relationship between Jim and Jenni to the bristling tension between Margot and her mother Flora (Weston). These details are much more fun than the escalating back and forth between Jim and Margot, which becomes increasingly exhausting to watch.

From the very start, it's clear that nice guy executive Jim and shark-like TV producer Margot are destined for each other, and yet they spend most of the movie trying to destroy the dream wedding the other has planned. Then they get on. Then they fall out. Repeat. Through all of this, there are moments when Ferrell and Witherspoon find unusual connections, and both of these gifted comical actors play it engagingly, almost managing to create some chemistry along the way.

The surrounding ensemble has a lot of fun stealing scenes with gleeful abandon, although they're all so absurd that the characters don't register very strongly. Some cameos add nice sparks of energy, as do a few raucous musical numbers. This includes two lively renditions of Islands in the Stream, one of which punctuates a series of post-credit scenes that leave us with smiles on our faces.

themes, language, violence 30.Jan.25

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