'The Lovebirds' Review

 
R: Sexual content, language throughout and some violenceRuntime: 1 Hr and 26 MinutesProduction Companies: Paramount Pictures, MRC, 3 Arts Entertainment, Quinn's HouseDistributor: NetflixDirector: Michael ShowalterWriters: Aaron Abrams, Brendan GallVoice Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Issa Rae, Anna Camp, Paul SparksRelease Date: May 22, 2020 
A couple (Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani) experiences a defining moment in their relationship when they are unintentionally embroiled in a murder mystery. As their journey to clear their names takes them from one extreme (and hilarious) circumstance to the next, they must figure out how they, and their relationship, can survive the night. 
Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani are two of the hottest — literally and figuratively — comedic actors working today. I’m a huge fan of them both. They’ve been dominating the scene for a long time now and have become major stars. And you know what becoming a major star in their field means? They have to secure the deal by starring in mediocre studio comedies that they’re too talented for. They tackled this individually last year; Rae starred in Little and Nanjiani starred in Stuber. Now they get to do it together as comedic romantic leads in The Lovebirds, a movie which was originally set to have an April theatrical release but was then picked up by Netflix. The leads, being as naturally funny as they are, did a great job lifting the picture together. Mixing Kumail Nanjiani’s deadpan sarcasm with Issa Rae’s snappy string of one-liners and observational humor resulted in a great dynamic. Director Michael Showalter, who has worked with Nanjiani ample times before, did a great job showcasing the leads’ talents and applying them to this surprisingly engaging murder mystery.Believe it or not, given the very “meh” plotline, Showalter did a good job balancing both the comedy and the suspenseful beats. This is the first time Showalter ventured out as a filmmaker, incorporating other genre elements and tackling suspense. There were countless times where I was actually at the edge of my seat with my pulse pounding. The danger that Jiron and Lelani got into was critical, and because they were normal people who got caught up in a major life-or-death incident, there were scenes where I was genuinely terrified for them. Ironically, The Lovebirds followed several beats that are reminiscent of a Scooby-Doo episode — more so than Scoob, which was released just the week prior. Despite everything that wasn’t up to par, the mystery was rather enticing and well-paced. I was more entertained than I expected to be, yet I was also grateful that the film was on Netflix.
I love Kumail. I love Issa. They are funny, both individually and as a team. Showalter did the best he could to help them keep the story afloat, and for the most part, they did. The three tried so hard to hold this movie together, but the goddamn script was just too mediocre. Given the madness of the plot, so much of the movie focused on Jiron and Lelani’s relationship. The plot literally kicked off seconds after their breakup argument, so they spent most of the film being forced to work together while mending their relationship. It was a good concept, but they spent most of the first half of the movie bickering and arguing with each other. Though there were random funny moments, the situation also became borderline annoying. This is one of those comedies where you can see all the beats coming from a mile away. Even though the leads were charming, the humor was incredibly bland. Everything about this film screamed “STUDIO COMEDY” as it ran down my list of pet peeves: Characters bickering A LOT until the plot kicks inReally good jokes getting beat into the ground because of constant ad-libbingRandom musical momentsOveruse of vulgarity just to get a laugh While it fell into all of those familiar studio comedy trappings, the worst thing about The Lovebirds was its tameness. It’s rated R, yet the big set pieces and plot points are tame. I mean, I respect the intentions behind remaining completely grounded, but at the same time, you’re working with Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae! They deserve more! It hurts to even say this, but most of the jokes simply weren’t funny. Most of them were chuckle-worthy, but sporadic because they ad-libbed so frequently. Then again, you really can’t blame the leads because the script itself is just weak. 
Much of this narrative reminded me of the now decade-old Tina Fey/Steve Carrell movie Date Night, where a straight-laced couple got unexpectedly tangled up in criminal activity. However, Date Night worked because it was able to deliver constant laughs in the midst of frenetic pacing with exciting set pieces while maintaining a PG-13 rating. The Lovebirds felt as if it was just going through the motions because the story material was simply not there.  Showalter, Rae, and Nanjiani are so damn talented and it’s definitely disappointing to see them have to work with a mediocre script. It felt as if the screenwriters had 73% of a solid murder mystery, but then incorporated the humor as an afterthought. Watching it from the comfort of my own home was entertaining, but I know that if I had seen this in a movie theater, I would’ve been a bit bored. It really doesn’t have the theatrical quality that it was intended to have. It has the star power, but star power can’t cancel out mediocrity.  Rating: 2.5/5 | 56%