In the realm of screen comedy, the degree of desperation can often be measured by the number of four-letter words in its content. By this metric, 'You're Cordially Invited' registers high on the desperation scale, given the recurring use of profanities. The movie, penned and directed by Nicholas Stoller, sadly does not match up to his past successful works like 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' and 'Bros.' A line like "We are going to chaos-monkey the motherfucking shit out of him," gives the impression that the comedy ran out of fresh and clever ideas.
Premiering on Prime Video, this film explores two weddings accidentally booked for the same weekend on a tiny island in Georgia. The plot revolves around Margot (Reese Witherspoon), a reality TV show producer arranging her sister's wedding, and Jim (Will Ferrell), a clinging father organizing his daughter's. When the parties discover the booking blunder, tensions rise and they end up trying to sabotage each other's events.
Stoller's movie aims to extract laughs through broad antics and attempts to stir warmth at the same time. However, the wavering between emotional beats and expansive slapstick comedy misses its mark. Even though Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell try to make the most out of their roles, their efforts ultimately fall short in the face of an overwhelmingly inane script. Supporting performances provide a few sporadic laughs but fail to compensate for the overall lack of substance.
Ferrell's character at one point feigns a heart attack, which is probably the most telling scene in the film concerning its descent in quality. Despite Stoller's past excellence and a talented cast, 'You're Cordially Invited' turns out to be a disappointing comedy fare riddled with banal humor and witless gags.
