It certainly did wonders for Leilani (Issa Rae) and Jibran (Kumail Nanjiani) in Michael Showalter’s latest comedy outing, “The Lovebirds.” Following a prologue that details the circumstances of their initial meeting, we are then transported four years into the future, and these two titular companions have begun to entertain the notion that it’s just not working out between them. After four years of a relationship that appears perfect to the outside world, it might be time to call it quits.
The couple does just that on their way to a friend’s dinner party. They finally articulate the uncomfortable thoughts they’ve been trying to process, and they break up. An unfortunate facet of life and love, but a ubiquitous one. Seconds pass on their newly-minted breakup before utter disaster strikes. Jibran, distracted by the demise of his four-year-old relationship and not especially attentive to the road in front of him, crashes into a bicyclist.
Horrified, he and Leilani barely have a chance to get a grip on what just transpired before the injured man gets back on his bicycle and swiftly flees the scene. A mustachioed man with a gun who identifies himself as a policeman then commandeers their vehicle and hastily pursues the bicyclist, who he eventually runs over multiple times with the flabbergasted couple’s car.
The gunman’s execution of the mysterious bicyclist clues Jibran and Leilani in on the fact that he’s probably not actually a cop. Or at least not a scrupulous one. Mustache slips away upon hearing police sirens, and our recently broken up protagonists are left to deal with the situation, believing themselves to be the prime suspects.
It’s an amusing premise. Its logical infrastructure may not hold up to even an iota of critical examination (most well-adjusted people would just go to the police in this situation), but it’s not pursuing complex crime epic status here. It’s a silly romantic comedy, and it should be approached as such. Anyone seeking much else in the way of character development or layered storytelling will surely be left unsatisfied.
Even if it is a fairly flimsy affair, it’s an enjoyable one, one that succeeds purely through the comedic talents and dynamite chemistry of its two wonderful leads. Rae and Nanjiani fully inhabit these squabbling lovers to convincing and hilarious effect. Their interplay is a joy to watch, especially the sequences that are obviously improvised. It’s these moments, the ones that break away from the film’s middling script and allow the gifted stars of “The Lovebirds” to shine on the strength of their own abilities as comedic performers, that make this otherwise pedestrian rom-com really pop on occasion.
“The Lovebirds” was originally intended to be a theatrical release for Paramount back in April, but due to all of the hoopla associated with the global pandemic we’re currently experiencing (not sure if you’ve heard about it), it was dropped on Netflix in late May. It will serve as yet another test case for the straight-to-VOD practice that many studios have resorted to in the wake of recent cultural changes. If releasing new titles straight to streaming and at-home platforms proves lucrative for production companies, it’s something we may start to see a lot more frequently, even after things eventually start returning to some sense of normalcy. It’ll be interesting to see how this film industry development plays out in the coming months and years.
In conclusion, “The Lovebirds” is worth checking out on Netflix for those looking for a breezy rom-com with little mental and emotional investment required. With all of the chaos and heartache that exists out in the world right now, it might be the perfect thing to sit down in front of for 90 minutes and detox with some lighthearted laughs.
