You're Cordially Invited: RSVP as a Maybe for this Movie


First off, I know that "maybe" is not an RSVP option on a wedding invite. I ask that you humor me with the idea as you read this review. It may sound strange, but You're Cordially Invited is one of the tougher movies I've rated so far. I'll explain why.

There are things to like about You're Cordially Invited. Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell, as Margot and Jim, are good fits for the characters they portray. Witherspoon and Ferrell have tangible chemistry together and you can see what motivates their characters. A lot of the humor lands which is more than can be said about most comedies in recent years. The premise of the film is both funny and stressful. You're also able to empathize with what both families have to deal with. However, there's a big question I kept asking myself while watching the movie.

Does You're Cordially Invited balance the humor and drama effectively? I said that most of the comedy sticks the landing, but I believe that certain more serious moments were diminished by attempts at cheap laughs. And to the film's credit, and my surprise, there are a fair amount of challenging family dynamics explored. Which I appreciated in a movie where I didn't expect much drama. I'm not going as far to say that You're Cordially Invited should've only been a comedy. There is enough story and character material of substance where that wouldn't be a fair critique. So, where does that leave my rating and recommendation of the film?

Overall, You're Cordially Invited is a solid form of escapism. You'll experience a decent combination of laughs and heart-felt moments. It's not Witherspoon or Ferrell's best movie, but certainly not one of the worst. I'll recommend some films to check out and will leave it to you whether to RSVP "yes" or "no" to You're Cordially Invited.

Rating:

Yellow Light - If you decide not to watch You're Cordially Invited I'd suggest wedding movies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding, The Proposal and The Wedding Singer.





 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Fantastic Four: First Steps - Solid Sci-Fi with some Superhero mixed in

Image
  I totally understand if superhero movies aren't your thing (especially with so many forgettable superhero movies in recent years). The Fantastic Four: First Steps is obviously based on comic book superheroes (Marvel's First Family is another name for the group), but in my opinion, the film was more sci-fi than anything else.  The backdrop is a 1960s retro-futuristic world where the Fantastic Four are not just heroes, but also act as world leaders (they're put on a literal pedestal). Marvel's First Family has to face their biggest challenge yet, once Silver Surfer (Julia Garner) comes to Earth, heralding the space god Galactus (Ralph Ineson), who has targeted the planet for destruction.  The Fantastic Four: First Steps  seems to draw inspiration from alien invasion and sci-fi epics of old. This film will remind you of a classic like  The Incredibles,  too.  The look and feel of how Earth operates are some of the standout aspects of  The Fantastic...
Read more

Superman: Not All That Super

Image
  Are we at a place where we can't get Superman right anymore? It sure seems that way. James Gunn's Superman is an awkward, puzzling movie. The tone of Superman is indecipherable, and the gravitas needed for the titular character is lacking. Superman (David Corenswet) may be in the early part of his heroic career, but I don't understand why he's always on the defensive in the film. He's supposed to be super, correct?  The pacing in Superman is too fast-paced. If things were allowed to breathe, this movie would've been much better. I enjoy Superman/Clark Kent's interactions with Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), but they're too infrequent and often cut short or diminished by poorly timed humor. Speaking of poorly timed humor, that's most of the comedy in Superman . It's no different than how Marvel movies have handled humor for a while now. It's tiresome, and I wish filmmakers and studios would trust audiences more. There are some aspects I liked ...
Read more

Frankenstein: It's more than Alive, it's Thriving

Image
  Guillermo Del Toro's Frankenstein is one of those rare films that you don't want to look away at all while watching it. The movie has your full attention and you're completely engrossed in the narrative. We all have at least some understanding of the story of Frankenstein , so I won't provide a summary of the storyline. Let's instead dive right into why this move is so effective. It's tough to know where to begin with Frankenstein , dear reader. I suppose I'll start with how the film looks. Frankenstein is true cinematic art. The set designs, cinematography, lighting, etc. are all impeccable. The visuals can tell the story as much as the characters and dialogue can. This is no shade to the people in Frankenstein to be clear. In fact, it's quite the opposite. I was impressed with all of the performances. Frankenstein (Oscar Issac), The Creature (Jacob Elordi) and Elizabeth (Mia Goth) especially are all characters that you understand very well. You get t...
Read more