How entertaining? ★★☆☆☆
Thought provoking? ★☆☆☆☆ 24 August 2016
A movie review of THE INTERVENTION. |
YouTube review:
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"It sounds even more insane when you say it out loud," Jack (Ben Schwartz)
The life changing weekend movie can be a joyous, vicarious thrill (COMPUTER CHESS, WONDER BOYS), but can also be a bit trite (THE BIG CHILL, THE BREAKFAST CLUB). Unfortunately, THE INTERVENTION falls into the latter category. It is sub-retro-1980s filmmaking that seems to be currently in vogue. (The exceptions in quality are rare: SUPER 8, STRANGER THINGS.)
The life changing weekend movie can be a joyous, vicarious thrill (COMPUTER CHESS, WONDER BOYS), but can also be a bit trite (THE BIG CHILL, THE BREAKFAST CLUB). Unfortunately, THE INTERVENTION falls into the latter category. It is sub-retro-1980s filmmaking that seems to be currently in vogue. (The exceptions in quality are rare: SUPER 8, STRANGER THINGS.)
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A group of 30-something pals descend on a summer pile in the countryside for ostensibly a reminiscing holiday harking back to happier times in their youth. The real reason is Annie (Melanie Lynskey) somehow convincing the rest of the gang that Ruby (Cobie Smulders) and Peter (Vincent Piazza) need to be sat down and told to get a divorce. Eh? An ambush to drop such a callous bombshell? That's the hardly believable premise from actor turned director Clea DuVall. The central conceit goes against all logic that true friends would avoid such marital sabotage.
Ruby and Peter are constant bickerers, and make for an (intentionally?) irritating presence. Who wants to watch the charmless airing of private dirty laundry, except maybe fans of reality television? An intervention to force relationship counselling, yes, but not this.
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Each of the homogenous group are given a single issue instead of real characterisation:
- Annie is a borderline alcoholic with commitment phobia. Wait for the now cliché dinner scene meltdown. Eating sequences are currently de rigueur moments of awkward revelations. This needs to be jettisoned for some other kind of communal activity. (Washing up maybe? Plenty of opportunities to smash crockery. *Scratch that.*)
- Personality-less fiancé Matt (Jason Ritter) is frustrated by Annie’s continual nuptial postponement.
- Sarah (Natasha Lyonne) yearns to move in with girlfriend Jessie (Clea DuVall).
- Former player Jessie has her own commitment phobia.
- Jack is dating the significantly younger Lola (Get the name? Typifies the leadenness.) played by Alia Shawkat.
- Lola has problems with authority.
- Ruby and Peter argue, because… er… marriage. Insight is in short supply.
The ending is as hackneyed and predictable as you’d expect. Even the song lyrics playing over proceedings, such as “What are you searching for?” and “What are you so eager to find?” or “I’ll be damned if I do, damned if I don’t”, force air to expel from the lungs in a groan. Superficial 30-something angst is tiresome to sit though.
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