Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘The Lovebirds’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

For the most part, romantic comedies tend to stick to a fairly basic formula. Wherein a man or a woman, typically a woman, find themselves lonely and desperate for a connection, all while facing some kind of critical life conundrum. And whilst they worry about their career or their future in some capacity, they run into someone attractive and dynamic and quirky that basically, turns their life around. For they teach our lonesome protagonist about the wonder of love and how it can heal one’s soul, and after a few speed bumps on the road to happiness, our couple finds the love they have both desired and they of course live happily ever after and the audience enjoys fuzzy feelings on their way out of the theater.
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If anything, that’s about as formulaic as it gets. But while one can fuss about formula, it is a tried and true method to pleasing a crowd and that’s why studios stick with it as often as possible. But from time to time, someone attempts to shake things up in this genre, by making the person who is desperately in need of love, a man instead of a woman, or the production team changes the location and the season for romance, making the story feel fresh and new. When in fact, it is the same old, same old. But once in a great while, a romantic comedy comes along that actually does buck the formula and finds a way to offer something delightful and new to the audience and recently, a film that meets that particular criteria arrived on Netflix, and that makes The Lovebirds quite the hilarious treat.

Now in this particular film we are introduced to Jibran and Leilani, a couple that is quite frankly, at a crossroads. For after years of dating and bliss, things have become quite stale in their relationship. To the point where they believe that the magic has been lost from their love and the time has come to put an end to a love affair that they believe has run its course. But as they work to figure what their lives are going to look like as singles once again, whilst driving to their final dinner party as a couple, a surprise request from a ‘police officer’ alters the course of their night. Because this guy takes the time to use their car to kill a suspect, and leaves them behind after the deed is done, making it appear as though they’re the ones who murdered this poor man. Prompting the both of them to go on the run and solve this crime before the police put them away, a decision that will change their lives in ways they never thought possible.

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So, as you can see from that plot summary alone, this is indeed a vastly different type of romantic comedy. Because it really does do a fine job of presenting the audience with a grand mystery, one that allows for the main characters to get into all kinds of hilarious shenanigans, and those moments quite frankly leave you in stitches because they are delightfully over the top and planned out perfectly and oddly enough, the laughs do a wonderful job of building said mystery. Because despite the fact that our lovebirds aren't skilled detectives, they do just enough to uncover more clues, drawing you into the story further, wherein you are rewarded with more tear-jerking laughs. But while those two elements do a fine job of telling this story, what allows for this movie to truly shine, is how it shakes up the tried and true formula present within this genre. 
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For in essence, we are spending time with a couple that has come to the end of their happily ever after. Because things are quite stale for this couple and their struggles provide us with some surprising lessons on love. For the story is quick to point out that relationships are work, and that once the fluffy and fuzzy feelings fade, that’s when the work begins, and we have to properly communicate with one another and take the time to understand and cater to our partner’s needs, and vice versa, in order to keep love alive since we grow and change on a fairly consistent basis and this… is so supremely refreshing to find within the framework of a romantic comedy. Because it removes the fluff that often surrounds these films and adds a needed sense of realism to something that is quite important to us, and this movie deserves some serious props for taking the time to be this honest and bold about the nature of romance and love.

In the end, all of these elements simply make this a spectacular motion picture. Because it offers so much to the audience. Because if you’re looking for a little bit of action and adventure, that’s in there thanks to the murder mystery, and if you’re in need of something a little more endearing, the romance takes care of that. But most importantly, it puts a smile on our faces thanks to the laughs, and really the credit for how well the comedy works in this film, has to go to the cast. Because Kumail Nanjiani (Jibran) and Issa Rae (Leiliani) are simply electric on screen and use their comedic skills to a tee and really, when all is said and done, this is a must-see motion picture. Because it really is a refreshing and original and funny ride. But more importantly, it is a wonderful way to escape the world for a little while, and you simply cannot go wrong with kicking back and getting lost in some serious laughs, especially right now.

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