YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED is directed by Nicholas Stoller. The film stars Will Ferrell, Reese Witherspoon, Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, and Jimmy Tatro.
Two couples have booked weddings in a beautiful island location that holds sentimental value for them. Unfortunately, due to a mix-up, the two couples are booked for the same wedding day! The two parties reluctantly decide to share the facilities for the weekend. Will the weddings and the festivities work out, or will the parties end up waging war with one another over sharing the space for their special days?
Comedy films are one of the many certainties in the world; it seems like a new one comes out nearly every week. YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED combines the talents of Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon (who are both also credited as producers), as well as some entertaining younger actors as well. The movie is being released on Amazon Prime rather than in theaters. How does this effort, the latest from director/writer Nicholas Stoller, measure up?
Put simply, YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED certainly has its moments. Its stars can be quite funny at times, and the basic premises of the film are quite relatable; it’s likely we’ve all had to share a space with another group at some point in time we didn’t necessary want to, or had to deal with wedding drama. The movie delivers in the laughs department, but a few days after having seen it, I can’t say that it’s left a lasting impression either. If nothing else, it’s a decent one-time watch.
The two leads, Ferrell and Witherspoon, portray family members of people getting married, trying to arrange the festivities and ultimately end up having to share the same space. These two are the best part of the movie, from their inevitable clashes to the moments they realize they might have more in common than they think. Their characterizations aren’t the deepest or most original thing, but I won’t deny they did get a few laughs out of me. Ferrell’s character walks the tightrope between “funny” and “creepy” at times; many exclamations characters make about him and his actions are perhaps a little too relatable to the audience.
The movie’s not bad from a production standpoint either, filmed in a beautiful island resort of sorts. I’m not sure what the budget of YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED was, but I’m pleased to say it never feels like it was made “on the cheap” as many direct-to-streaming productions often do.
The problem with the film is that, while certainly not a bad movie, it’s not a particularly memorable one. A few days after having watched the movie, do I remember much about it? Sadly, the answer is no, outside of the basic premise and a few of the gags. At times, it feels more like a collection of sketches slapped together than a coherent film, which is truly sad given the quality of the personnel involved. At 109 minutes (about 10 minutes longer than any comedy should be), the movie feels like it’s dragging at times. An overstuffed cast of characters and plot elements doesn’t help either.
Do you have an Amazon Prime subscription? Give this one a watch. You’ll get a few laughs and have a nice diversion from your life for a while. It’s not a great film, and I’m not sure I’ll ever watch it again, but there are worse things on there you could be watching for 109 minutes. Moderately recommended to fans of R-rated comedy.