Lovebirds
netflix + paramount
Director Michael Showalter's Lovebirds is perhaps the most disappointing and unequivocally unfunny feature to be released in the already marred year that is 2020. Not even the comedic talents of Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae can pull together a litter of comedic remnants that are remotely entertaining.
The biggest and most confusing issue Lovebirds has within its underwhelming arsenal are the two lead performances from Rae and Nanjiani themselves. Separately, the duo have a substantial body of comedic and dramatic work to showcase their respective skills as performers. Yet, regarding Lovebirds, the talent in question is almost non-existent. Separately, the expertise fails to inject any layers of engagement, value or charisma. No distinctive character traits or memorable moments of bravado are brought to the screen and, for a comedy, not being funny is of course the ultimate sin.
However, it gets worse when the two are put together, resulting in a flat partnership with a lack of chemistry. The couple, who have been together for four years, evoke a mood of unintentional distance. Granted, this aloof behaviour is contextually appropriate to the narrative. However, even in moments of emotional representation and conviction, said themes are hollow and unsatisfactory.
Having to watch two comedic entities who are neither funny nor engaging does, before long, beg the question of how much more a viewer can put up with, even for a slim running time of eighty-six minutes. With Rae and Nanjiani having such successful careers, one has to question why their performance is so poor and, even further, consider whether this extends to the writing on offer.
The screenplay from Aaron Abrams and Brendan Gall is arguably one the most derivative and painfully unimaginative entities conceivable. It offers little in entertainment value, intrigue or a baseline engagement in which the most mindless comedy is restricted in a torment of convention. In short, if you have seen the superior Date Night, you have also had the pleasure of viewing Lovebirds, just without witnessing the opaque comedic tragedy.
