r The Invite

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Much like the Italian record-breaker Perfect Strangers (Perfetti sconosciuti, 2016), the Spanish sex comedy Sentimental (2020) has already spawned several national remakes, including the Swiss version Die Nachbarn von oben and the French Et plus, si affinités. Now comes the American take.

Once again, the story revolves around a middle-aged couple whose relationship is showing signs of wear and tear, and who are all the more irritated by a pair of newcomers in their building who regularly indulge in noisy sex. When the sexually inhibited couple invite their acrobatic neighbours over for drinks, hoping to raise the issue of the noise, the result is an evening full of surprises. The newcomers reveal themselves to be swingers and invite their hosts to swap partners. As in all previous versions, fault lines open up in every direction – yet the evening ultimately turns out to be rather less uninhibited than the premise might suggest.

The biggest surprise of the American version comes with the very first ring of the doorbell: standing outside are Edward Norton and Penélope Cruz, an unlikely pairing whom the two virtuoso performers propel through a series of escalating tensions with evident relish. As their more conventional counterparts, Olivia Wilde, who also directs, and veteran comedian Seth Rogen engage in verbal sparring matches that are more sophisticated than in previous versions, but also more drawn out.

The central question of the whole premise – just how far will the erotic experiment go? – is resolved in a distinctly American fashion: nudity is carefully avoided, and rather than allow anyone to commit actual adultery, the film prefers to have a bookcase come crashing down in the heat of passion. Which is perfectly fine, of course, as a prelude to a reassuringly conciliatory ending.