Netflix's new comedy The Lovebirds was originally supposed
to be released in theaters in early April, but the studio sold it to Netflix
after the pandemic placed many spring releases in limbo. But the shot-in-New
Orleans comedy/thriller only yields sporadic laughs.
After a charming
opening introducing us to the main couple (Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae), the
film fast forwards four years to when they are on the verge of breaking up.
After they witness a murder, they end up on the run and trying to clear their
names.
The biggest
problem with The Lovebirds is one that plagues many modern comedies.
It's indifferently scripted and plotted. It feels like the actors were just
told to improvise and riff and that that would be enough for a good movie.
Nanjiani is a gifted comedian who wrote and starred in 2017's excellent The
Big Sick, so he earns a few laughs here and there, as does Rae. But no
comedian's going to hit on every riff if asked to prop up an entire movie that
way.
The crime/thriller elements don't need to be Chinatown,
but they are just very half-baked here. If you're looking for a comic thriller
that actually has a well-plotted script, watch 2018's Game Night instead.
