Clea DuVall hits big with her directorial debut, THE INTERVENTION. The film is a relationship dramedy that takes place over the course of a weekend, as a group of longtime friends gather at a lakeside house at the urging of Annie (Melanie Lynskey) to discuss an important matter. They have all noticed that Ruby (Cobie Smulders) and Peter's (Vincent Piazza) marriage has been on the rocks for a while now, and Annie feels it is time for the group to intervene, for the good of them all. She plans to stage a relationship intervention to help the couple really examine their struggles and see that they would be better off apart.
Along the way, issues crop up and are analyzed for each participant, pointing out that none of their relationships are ideal, and they should probably all be doing a little self-examination. Jessie (DuVall) and Sarah (Natasha Lyonne) have been together for three years, yet have not taken the step of moving in together, largely at Jessie's resistance. Jack can’t seem to get serious, having recently taken up with 22 year old artist, Lola (Alia Shawkat), and Annie herself has delayed her marriage to Jack (Josh Ritter) a whopping four times now.
Surprisingly, given the subject, the film carries a light and fairly playful tone, but it doesn't interfere with the characters when they begin to examine their own issues. For every silly scene of micro-managy Annie trying to control the weekend and make sure everything goes according to plan, we get a very honest, thought-provoking moment of self-realization from one of the other players. DuVall's script does a wonderful job in presenting these characters as flawed individuals without letting the story get too dark, and in turn, never letting the comedy run away with the mood. Despite the lightness in many of the scenes, we get to see some really stellar, heart-touching performances from the entire cast. We never take it for granted that these people are dealing with some very real problems in their personal lives, and the film never makes light of their troubles.
The cast is phenomenal. Just the sight of seeing Clea DuVall, Natasha Lyonne and Melanie Lynskey reunited onscreen caused my teenage heart to surge. The actors all have a wonderful rapport with one another, and their chemistry together really makes the story come to life. Lynskey, in particular, is hilarious as the de facto group leader. She has to have a hand in everything in order to distract herself from her own numerous issues, and as annoying as that really should be, it is hilariously endearing when delivered by a performer of Lynskey’s calibur. We see her heart in the right place, but her execution is oftentimes so over the top and clumsy that the situation tends to fall over on to her, often with entertaining results.
DuVall and Lyonne are standout as a couple who clearly enjoy each other's company, yet can't seem to put their own baggage to rest in order to take the next steps in their relationship. Their interactions really sell them as two individual people who, though they love each other, often have a hard time fitting together as a couple. Cobie Smulders has perhaps some of the most heavy lifting in the film, and carries her scenes with incredible confidence. Ruby is completely aware that her relationship with Peter has hit rough waters, but is powerless to find the energy to identify and fix the problem.
THE INTERVENTION is an honest, yet inviting glimpse at the struggles that relationships often undergo after they have been established. Having had Clea DuVall be a constant part of my film experience since I was a teenager, it is so exciting to see her take a new step in her career and as an artist. Her first foray behind the camera is a huge success - she gives us funny, complex and challenging characters that we can all relate to in one way or another. Their struggles are real and we easily see what they are going through and can emphasize in one way or another. It's easy to see ourselves in many of these situations because we have no doubt been there at one time or another. I'm looking forward to seeing many great things from her in the years to come.
