‘The Lovebirds’ Review

Romantic comedy is a genre that often works by a formula. Sometimes this formula can work if it adds some new elements and gives the audience charming characters in funny situations that we can relate to. The Lovebirds follows a lot of the classic formulas but adds enough of a twist to make it interesting enough.

Plot

Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae are a couple who have been together for a couple of years. We see them start out love struck and then see them in modern-day as a couple who is clearly getting tired of one another. On the verge of breaking up, the couple finds themselves in a caper filled with murder, blackmail, and secret organizations.

Too complicated for its own good

The film is definitely strongest in the first half as the scenario begins to develop. The characters’ dialogue as they try to figure out what is happening and reacting to their own situation is funny at times. The second half is where the film begins to go over the top in terms of the plot. It starts to get into a secret society and just really lost me in its ridiculousness. 

The film also glosses over important details to focus on the couple’s chemistry, which made me forget exactly what was happening. If you asked me what this movie is about, I couldn’t tell you besides the main synopsis. The plot towards the end also does get a bit predictable. There are some jokes that actually make fun of the plot itself and romantic comedies that have this type of premise, which made me chuckle. 

The movie is only 86 minutes which means that the plot starts immediately and goes very quickly. The pacing is solid and I never really felt bored, even if I may have been uninterested in what was happening.

Strong chemistry from the two leads

Nanjiani and Rae are the stars of this movie and they save it. They have great chemistry that makes both of them very likable. Their relationship is believable which allows the audience to go along for the ride. They also sell a lot of their comedic lines. Even if the line isn’t very funny, their performances make the delivery work. That being said, it often feels like they know that what they’re saying isn’t funny. 

Much of the movie involves riffs where the characters will just talk about something random for a while. It often feels like these riffs are improvised because the characters are trying to create humor in parts that don’t have a lot of humor. These scenes lasted a bit too long, especially when the dialogue stopped being funny. None of the jokes really made me laugh out loud either. There are some chuckles, but no gut-busters.

Final Verdict

Overall, this is another harmless movie that will help you pass the time. It’s sweet and could put you in a good mood. The film was supposed to come out into theaters, but due to the pandemic, it was sold to Netflix, so it’s something you can just pop on and casually enjoy. It’s a pretty forgettable comedy, but it might just put a smile on your face and that’s all comedies can do sometimes.

Final score: 2.5/5