THE INTERVENTION
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Reviewed by: Harvey Karten, Showbiz
Grade: B
Director: Clea DuVall
Written by: Clea DuVall
Cast: Clea DuVall, Melanie Lynskey, Natasha Lyonne, Vincent Piazza, Jason Ritter, Ben Schwartz, Alia Shawkat, Cobie Smulders
Screened at: Review 2, NYC, 7/18/16
Opens: August 29, 2016
What are friends for? One of the important uses is to help others in their respective relationships. Friends don’t let friends drive drunk, drop acid, get into trouble with the law. If one of your pals is having a difficult time with a spouse, you may step in, save the duo the costs of marriage counseling, and get them on the same page. It’s most unusual to find people who, as a group, invite a pair of folks having a difficult time, gang up on them, and urge them to get a divorce. In that sense “The Intervention,” actor Clea DuVall’s freshman directorial and writing project on the big screen, breaks new ground not dreamed of even by John Sayles (“The Return of the Secaucus Seven”).
In DuVall’s story, several couples in their thirties get together in a lavish mansion in beautiful Savannah Georgia, probably inherited by Jesse (Clea DuVall), who is partnered with her lover, Sarah (Natasha Lyonne). Annie (Melanie Lynskey) has been postponing marriage several times to the dismay of her squeeze, Matt (Jason Ritter). For his part Jack (Ben Schwartz) is accompanied by Lola (Alia Shawkat), the most sexually assertive of the group and a woman who is a decade younger than Jack. The clueless objects of the plan to push the struggling couple into breaking up are Ruby (Cobie Smulders), arguing even in the car on the way to the front door, and Peter (Vincent Piazza), who have three kids that might suffer if the plan works.. All is orchestrated by Annie, who has an altogether too close friendship with Scotch and wine. We soon see that not only Peter and Ruby have problems: each member of the weekend fraternity could use psychological help, whether with alcoholism, dysfunctional relationships, or conspicuous cheating.
Would you be happy to have such friends, people who intrude like government surveillance cameras into the intimacy of a marriage? Neither does Peter who in the movie’s most forceful monologue tells everybody off before disappearing into the woods, though ironically, the group’s meddling will have the effect of bringing Peter and Ruby together (the enemy of my enemies…).
Though the setup could have dissolved into soap opera, DuVall keeps the proceeding flowing with humor until the scene turns darker. Otherwise John Sayles with “The Return of the Secaucus Seven” and Lawrence Kasdan of “The Big Chill” are the gold standard for this time of drama.
The Savannah, Georgia visiting center should consider promoting the film.
Rated R. 90 minutes. © Harvey Karten, Member, New York Film Critics Online
Story – B-
Acting – B
Technical – B
Overall – B
