The Intervention (2016)

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!

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

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!)

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.