The Intervention (I) (2016) User Reviews

Great cast of Thrity-somethings in an amusing film about relationships

[subxerogravity · 6/10 · 31 August 2016]

Well...I went to go see the movie because I like all the people that were in it. Jason Ritter, Natasha Lyonne, Alia Shawkat. The talent in the movie drew me in, I wanted to see it.

It's one of those movies that seems to be for a specific group of people. Like this generations Thirty-Something. Got to point out that the group of actors use look good for Thirty-Somethings, which more points out how different being Thirty-something now is than it was when that show aired.

But this is not the focus of the movie. The focus is on the intervention, a group of friends who have known each other forever try to convince two of their friends that they're in a bad marriage and need to end it. It's very ironic as you learn real quick, as everyone is tossing rocks when they all live in glass houses.

It has it's funny moments as the movie is very relateable about life and relationships, as everyone discovers where they are is not necessary where they belong. It makes for a lot of laughs, but sometimes I felt the dramatic performances were rushed to make it more funny.

The intervention is an OK film, it works for me cause I like the cast in it and the laughs come from a it's so funny it's true situation. I can see it not working for everyone for the same reasons.

http://cinemagardens.com

The Big Chill for today's 30-somethings

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 25 August 2016]

Greetings again from the darkness. Clea DuVall: Actress/Writer/Director/Producer. No one who has followed her outstanding career (especially as a standout in many independent films) can be surprised that she is spreading her creative wings into all aspects of filmmaking. Her directorial debut can best be described as a contemporary version of Lawrence Kasdan's The Big Chill (1983) for today's thirty-somethings.

Casting is key for an ensemble project, and it's especially difficult for a serio-comedy exploring the insecurities and inherent unhappiness that corresponds to the closest relationships. The premise here is that four couples meet at a beautiful and isolated lake house just outside of Savannah. The motivation for this meet up of old friends is a "marriage intervention" for one of the couples … something that must have seemed better in theory than it plays out in reality.

The couple whose marriage is in the target zone is played by Cobie Smulders (The Avengers, "How I Met Your Mother") as exhausted mother of three Ruby, and Vincent Piazza ("Boardwalk Empire") as the long-ago-gave-up-trying Peter. The others are played by Melanie Lynskey ("Two and a Half Men") as Annie, who has continually postponed her wedding to super nice guy fiancé Matt played by Jason Ritter; Natasha Lyonne ("Orange is the New Black") as Sarah, long-time partner to Ruby's sister Jessie (Clea DuVall); and Ben Schwartz ("House of Lies") as Jack, who brings his free-spirited, much younger girlfriend Lola (Alia Shawkat, State of Grace).

We quickly witness the bitterness and lack of caring that has poisoned the marriage of Ruby and Peter, and of course, it doesn't take long to spot all the cracks in the relationships and personalities of the others. Annie is a control-freak who appears to be a full blown alcoholic, while Matt is such a nice guy, that he refuses to stand up for himself and have some pride. Sarah and Jessie avoid any serious discussion regarding why they aren't living together yet, while Jessie's weakness for younger girls plays a role – as does Sarah's secret. Jack is obviously avoiding dealing with some personal issue (which we later learn) as he plays kissie-face with the no-strings-attached Lola (not Lolita).

The script tries to tackle an enormous number of issues, sub-plots and characters, and while we pretty easily get a feel for each, we never understand how these people ever agreed that a group attack was the best strategy. No amount of charades, barbecue or kickball can hide the messes that define each of these folks … whether married or not.

The actors have tremendous comedy timing and handle these moments much better than the ultra-dramatic moments. Cobie Smulders and Ben Schwartz are real standouts here, which is quite a compliment given the tremendous on screen talents on display. It's a group that can gracefully pull off a Subaru joke while also playing cut-throat charades and dodging thrown peaches.

Ms. DuVall will undoubtedly go on to make better films than this one, but as a first project it offers some terrific moments. Sara Quinn (of Tegan and Sara) scores the film, and though some excellent tunes are included, the music was at times disruptive to the flow of the story. The film will probably hit home with a great many who fall into the thirty-something age group, though older viewers will likely prefer to re-visit The Big Chill from more than 30 years ago.

Great intervention

[mbgdowska · 7/10 · 25 February 2017]

As I am a big follower of Cletasha (Clea and Natasha) work so am will not be biased giving my review for this movie. It was light-hearted, variably predictable but great to watch the couples roller-coaster ride. NO spoilers but good ending. The movie made me think of the conclusion to the movie's Yeah but I'm a Cheerleader movie) ending after Megan and Graham drive off together. I liked all characters as I have seen and liked them in their previous movies especially Cletasha and John Ritter. I would say this a light-hearted comedy with relatable issues we have to face in our lives. Considering it's Clea's debut movie it's pretty good viewing. I am not giving anything away in the story plot cos you have to watch it and you will not be disappointed. Enjoy!

Pretty good, if flawed

[Red_Identity · 30 December 2016]

I was very interested in seeing Clea DuVall's directorial debut. For years I have only known her as an actress (a very capable one) so I wanted to see what her skills behind the camera, and behind the typewriter if I must say, were. I definitely think there are some contrivances here, flaws that continually stick out. The film is a bit disjointed at times and unsure of where it really wants to go, and yet it still never falls apart and is quite enjoyable. Although the screenplay is very flawed, it also shows a good amount of talent in its dialogue that makes me interested in what DuVall can create next. The reason it works so well is probably because of the very talented and dedicated cast. I do recommend it.

Take it for what it is

[sandiesh-86719 · 6/10 · 5 May 2020]

I think people get way too involved with negative feedback on this film. Take it with a pinch it's a lighthearted film, enjoyable, at some points funny, sad, very relatable. We can all relate to one of the characters/situation in the film and it's real. Good watch, would watch it again on a Sunday with a cup of tea

A Big Chill Redux

[SeemsSensible · 6/10 · 22 November 2017]

This movie is so similar to 1983's The Big Chill—eight longtime friends gather for a weekend at a big, rich-person's Southern mansion (except whereas in The Big Chill, the eight were friends from college, here we mostly don't know how they're connected)—that I feel like it must be an homage by Clea Duvall. I like her as an actress, so I'd hate to believe that it's just a blatant ripoff. The eight cast members are even structured the same way: The Big Chill had seven friends in their early 30s convening, with the eighth being someone a decade younger; same here.

Duvall has assembled a winning cast, although Melanie Lynskey's character is super annoying. The plot is pretty thin and far-fetched: You have to wonder why Jessie (Duvall's character) wouldn't have had this "you need to get out of your bad marriage" conversation directly and privately with her sister (the Cobie Smulders character). Lynskey's character is the driving force behind this intervention, and except for one small moment, you'd never even know Jessie and Ruby were sisters.

It's wrapped up a little too tidily, too, with the imperiled married couple, who seem to actually despise each other, suddenly deciding to give it a go.

Not a bad movie, not really a very good movie, either...I suppose faint praise, but...you could do worse?

Nostalgia

[kathleenmb · 7/10 · 26 September 2018]

Could have been better... Could have been worse. These are signatured actors who signed, sealed, and delivered this movie with the same charm that is unique to each actor. Anytime natasha lyonne and Clea Duvall are together doing anything, it's gonna have some comedic moments. Seeing Melanie lynsky in the mix kinda gave me nostalgia for but I'm a cheerleader. Thought at first this was gonna be a sequel style romp, but turned out to be a well thought out and heartfelt storyline. This movie has real potential, however it does lack a few things that bring it just out of reach. For a first time endeavor on the part of Clea Duvall for writing and directing, you go girl! But for an avid movie watcher, there are things that so drag and lack. If you don't have uber high expectations, this movie is quite charming, but if you want an epic Hollywood blockbuster or arthouse cult flick, then do not watch because you'll just be disappointed. However, if you have respect or adoration for the cast, give it a go, you won't be disappointed with their unparalleled charm. Enjoyable flick. Sidenote, miss duvall, if you read this, get summer Phoenix in on your next project.

Doesn't Ring True

[larrys3 · 4/10 · 30 November 2016]

The talented actress Clea DuVall makes her major motion picture directorial and writing debut here, and also is one of the featured players in the ensemble cast of eight as well. The group gathers at a luxurious summer home, outside of Savannah, mainly to have an intervention and urge two of their friends to bail out of a very strained marriage.

There's a lot of talent in this cast and they're effective in their particular roles. However, I found the screenplay to be terribly clichéd and non-believable on the whole, and the characters to be carping and annoying for the most part, reaching epiphanies during the movie that seemed to come out of "left field".

Are we really supposed to feel for a character who's trying to make the argument that Hitler may have had good intentions in what he did, and thus maybe wasn't such a bad guy? How they left this scene in the film is beyond my comprehension.

To note, there's lots of explicit language laced throughout the movie, as well as some highly suggestive sexual scenes,

All in all, a talented cast is rather wasted here as the script and the whole thing just didn't ring true, in my opinion, plus the usual 180's at the end were not worth the long slog to get there.

Commitment Issues And Issues With Commitments

[organicsocial · 4/10 · 30 August 2016]

Imagine you are having a boring and otherwise quite normal married life. You decide to go on a vacation with a couple of your old friends who you've not seen in a long time. When you get there you find out that they are organizing an intervention to help you sort out your relationship troubles. Only one problem there. You realise that none of your friends have the moral ground to host this conversation. You'd probably go "Huh? why are we even doing this?" You'd probably get pretty mad at your friends. Maybe never even talk to to them again.

On the surface this movie looks like a harmless romcom but the intentions that are driving the plot are questionable and hard to digest. Why in the world would your friends want you to get divorced? Oh, only if they are commitment phobic themselves... guess that makes sense, right? No! It's plain psychopathic.

Many people in relationships struggle to stay sober. Some are just not capable of taking major decisions about life. Alcohol never solves that problem. Many people lose their life partners. They struggle to start new relationships. These were some profound aspects that The Intervention could've focused on but it instead squandered all the deep emotions as the plot rushes to complete the 2 days 3 nights schedule of messing up and making up while none of the relationships show any promise. Is that closer to reality than I think? Are interventions and sit downs even effective? Doubtful!

For the sake of the story, we can agree that there is an inherent problem with modern relationships. We all want to be independent. So, the dynamics really don't work the way they used to in traditional marriages. Trusting someone and then settling down with them is all the more difficult. Then why to even pretend that you need anyone? The Intervention doesn't fight this hypocrisy nor does it stress on the value of building a family. Its like an unnecessary food for thought.

Commitment phobia is more than just a matter of relationships. It is partly a social issue and and partly a psychological response to change. This movie however doesn't address that. Instead it jumps right onto the quarter-life crisis drama of married couples and couples not sure about marriage. It tends to strengthen the misconception that commitment issues are predominantly prevalent among the affluent. Well, we do see more marriages fail in higher income groups but that's not the point. Anyone can have commitment issues. Whether or not they are rich, successful or even ambitious for that matter. Our dependency on technology and social media is turning us into confused, prejudiced and superficial people. Movies like The Intervention push us further towards behaving immaturely.

One pleasant surprise from the movie was Ben Schwartz's immaculate performance as someone grieving yet coping with it. His character Jack is the most normal of the bunch also the voice of reason. Such a long way from Jake and Amir days. Cobie Smulders does a fine job in making her performance convincing. Her character manages to take a stand that gives some closure to the audience. It was much needed because the intervention surely didn't work.

Subtle Drama

[scythertitus · 8/10 · 12 August 2017]

Solid dramatic comedy about four sets of couples with their own quirks and problems, giving a good balanced outlook at relationships and the various ways in how they can work and work out.

The cast is great and the comedy is subtle. The film does a good job of addressing multiple viewpoints and informing the audience of who each character is and what they are feeling. The best aspect is probably how then each defined character interacts with each other, as well as which ones don't. Often times you get the feeling more of watching a play than a movie (in a good way).

Overall I recommend this film to people who like real life stories, if you are looking for lots of laugh out loud comedy, high stakes or extreme drama then you won't find it here. But a pleasant, thoughtful and enjoyable look at relationships as they mature is delivered in very fine fashion.

Big Chill? Not even close

[antonio12 · 4/10 · 17 February 2018]

I've never written a review here but seeing this movie being compared to Big Chill, one of the finest movies about relationships ever, I couldn't help myself. I love these kind of movies but this is just bad filmmaking. Soulless, bad written characters and horrible story. Cannot believe that director is best friends with otherwise great Lynskey, cause she's given her one of the the worst roles of her life.

Terrible

[yourbalava · 1/10 · 26 February 2017]

Give me back that 90 minutes of my life. Very unrealistic. The only saving grace was the intervention ending up on the correct character at the end. A forced situation prolonged is what it felt like. Great waste of good talent. The plot of the story evolved in a luckluster way. The relationships were very unrealistic in the story. Some things do deserve to come to an end.

Boring

[deloudelouvain · 5/10 · 3 December 2022]

The cast of The Intervention consists mostly of actors and actresses that are known from series. Nothing wrong with that as there are a lot of good actors in those series. Interesting to watch them in a movie though. The story starts mildly interesting but the more you get into the plot the lesser interesting it gets. I got pretty bored towards the end. Melanie Lynskey plays an annoying character, difficult to like to be honest. She was the reason that I lost complete interest in this movie. It's just a mediocre movie, really nothing to write about. I guess some people might enjoy it, sadly I'm not one of them.

White-Washing Tyler Perry

[thesar-2 · 8/10 · 27 August 2016]

Imagine a world where Tyler Perry makes a movie with real actors, believable dialogue, actual adult behaviors, depth and characters you actually care about. Before you say anything, it's not a racial issue. It's a talent session with real adults of 2016.

I only bring up Perry because this movie, white actors or not, felt similar in setting and conflicts and yet, 100x more real than the stage- turned-movie sh|t he's spewed out. Watch out! Adults swear. Oh, my goodness! People have sex outside of marriage. And don't look now! Alcohol can be consumed.

People can discuss problems in a gorgeous, remote home, but still be real. Here, I felt the interactions were genuine. I know sometimes there were one-liners and some made me laugh, but they don't happen all the time in real-life like a lot of snappy indie films about "real-life" lead you to believe.

Let's back up a bit. The Intervention is about a long-standing group of friends and relatives that vacation in an incredible home on certain weekends of the month. This holiday, however, is hosted and manipulated by one of the group to host an intervention for a married couple of the clan whose marriage appears to be on the rocks.

Everyone (here and in your life) has flaws. So who can really tell others how to live? And there, folks, we have our movie.

It's not perfect, but it was refreshing to feel real again. Not Hollywood glamourizing couples or having Oscar-bait tear-jerking scenes. It was quick, tight, nothing huge and something to enjoy for under 90 minutes.

We all need an intervention. If you feel you don't, let me read you something I wrote about you before you entered the room…

***

Final thoughts: WOW! Never even got to my favorite part of this movie. What a great reunion of both Clea DuVall and Natasha Lyonne…both I loved in But, I'm a Cheerleader. Spoiler, sorry, in both movies I saw them in, they were a lesbian couple. It would be nice to think these were their same characters, but they weren't. Still, once I saw them both on screen, I squealed in delight.

Additionally, in the closing credits, it was nice to see this was DuVall's passion project as I learned only then she was the Writer and Director in addition to one of the group of friends. So, it must've been her who made sure Natasha returned as her on screen love interest. Awww. Makes me smile…

…and want to rewatch But, I'm a Cheerleader for the twelfth or twentieth time! (I lost count. Love it!)

Worst movie ever

[pippayates · 1/10 · 18 June 2018]

This movie was

• boring
• terrible acting
• annoying
• stupid

And the actors roles were horrible

Terribly disappointing

[svw · 3/10 · 9 June 2019]

An astonishing waste of Natasha Lyonne's talent. I wanted to like the film but I couldn't even finish it. The dialogue throughout the half I watched was mind numbing.

One of the problems is that the film gives the word 'parochial' a whole new meaning. I expect that a certain subculture of affluent white Americans will find it relatable. I couldn't find anything engaging in the characters or their problems.

Engaging

[Gordon-11 · 19 December 2018]

The film tells the story of four couples getting together for a weekend break in a fantastic summer house, but with an ulterior motive.

The story begins quite slowly, and nothing much happens as the scene is being set. However, once the real story gets moving, the events happen quickly. The second half of the story is thought provoking and engaging. I enjoyed it overall.

Really boring

[Jessicanu94 · 3/10 · 12 October 2018]

Like so boring nothing even happens. Where was the plot

very enjoyable

[alicej-13706 · 8/10 · 3 February 2019]

Loved it. Natasha and Melanie were hilarious as always and Clea is an outstanding director!

Decent indie flick.

[m-47826 · 3/10 · 15 January 2021]

Really, nothing special. I like the cast, some of the music. That was surprisingly mellow for what the movie was intending to be. And the subtle humor. Only it wasn't anything more than TV actors gathering, and trying out their movie acting skills. For fans only.

Barely Able to Stay Awake

[anitalansing-40-581915 · 4/10 · 26 July 2021]

This was a poorly constructed movie. The characters were all over the place and nobody appeared to fit with the person they were went. Nothing could salvage this movie.

Fantastic drama

[aliases-53334 · 9/10 · 6 January 2019]

I loved this movie! Great acting, realistic story lines, an enjoyable drama about a group of siblings and their spouses meeting up in a big summer house, to discuss one of the couple's marriage and basically intervene with their lives. Everybody are , of course, gossipy and nosey as all families are. Light hearted and funny, compelling drama.

Hilarious

[thecuracaoleangirl · 8/10 · 10 January 2019]

First of all I watch this movie because I saw that Natasha Lyonne was acting in it, so I though it must be good. I like these kind of movies, it wasn't so boring. I was laughing alot at almost ending part. I really liked that Ruby and Peter decided to give their marriage anither chance, and what I really wasn't happy about is that Annie & Matt broke up, but I knew something like that had to happened because of the way she was giving advice about other relationships and not hers self. But not so bad of a movie, it's a worth watching!

I just watched this after happiest Season

[juanmuscle · 10/10 · 7 April 2021]

Which was really good, I had no idea that lady who acted in so much stuff could write and direct and stuff, this was wonderful. I came in going oh no,nooo way this is going to be good, no way, but it was , the lady did her job and she covered everything tied all threads, everything was really well done like a total pro whatever that means lol.

Hilarious and Real

[ragehd · 10/10 · 16 February 2022]

I can't believe all the weird confused young people giving this movie a bad rating. The casting is perfect. The variation of actual adult issues with actual adult self-awareness and vacillating moments of humor is also perfect. The reuniting of besties Msss. Lyonne and DuVall is funny, realistic, (hot), and sweet. And what can I say about Melanie Lynskey! Hilarious and sublimated as always, the master of intensely containing what is barely controlled rage-the perfect archetype of the woman who exudes controls in all of the areas she is really out of control. And she's just hilarious! ("I think we should do something" "Like what, kiss?") As the clear suppose main character, she just exudes the need for compassion and laughs as she struggles to confront so many things within herself. And when the slow buildup of everything finally hits the fan, it was ridiculous and hilarious and yet somehow still real ("Nobody likes a Jolene."). (PS Alia Shawkat is just great in her seemingly-limited character role, and big shout to Ben Schwartz for a layer we're not used today seeing). Enjoyed it all! Weird to read the user reviews not honestly recognizing themselves in the imperfect people we all are. Welcome to the stupid complexities and simplicities of adulthood. A win!