The invite – the pleasure is all ours

It all began with a film – and before that, a play – by Cesc Gay. The Barcelona-born director (born in 1967) first came to prominence some 25 years ago with a short film entitled "Krampack". Two sixteen-year-olds, left home alone whilst their parents are on holiday, experiment with a few sexual games. Just the two of them, before the girls arrive. "The Invite" is a remake of his "Sentimental", adapted from a play by the director himself, which has already seen several versions: in Switzerland, France and Korea. Even in Italy: titled "Vicini di casa", directed by Paolo Costella and starring Claudio Bisio. Forgettable: in this racy comedy, the actors weren’t particularly convincing. This is the American remake, crowning the film’s success. Conceived and directed by Olivia Wilde, the film stars Wilde and Seth Rogen as the bored couple. Their upstairs neighbours, noisily engaged in bedroom activities, are played by Edward Norton and Penelope Cruz. Rogen’s character, a former musician who now teaches college music and suffers from back pain, lives in his parents’ house with his wife, played by Wilde. When the neighbours drop by to apologise for the noise they make in bed, their air of intrigue suggests they might be swingers. The dialogue is sharp, underscored by the soundtrack. Wilde tries to rise to the occasion, while Rogen has no desire to do so, holding his ground even when the neighbours—a cosmopolitan, mixed-international couple—begin teasing him.