Film Review: The Lovebirds

Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae star in The Lovebirds, a wacky light-hearted romcom that revives a delivery of the genre that hasn’t been seen for a while.

Jibran (Nanjiani) and Leilani (Rae) are floating on cloud nine together, until they’re not. Four years into their relationship, unresolved tension is pushing them to breaking point. Unable to finish a conversation without turning it into an argument, they are both at wits end. That is until they become complicit in a murder.

On the way to a gathering with friends, Jibran and Leilani’s constant bickering distracts Jibran enough while driving that they accidentally hit a cyclist. However, the cyclist survives and rides away in a frenzy. Amidst the confusion, they suddenly find themselves carjacked, tailing the cyclist. The carjacker mercilessly kills the cyclist (it’s not as dark as it sounds). Upon hearing sirens nearby, the murderer runs away, leaving Jibran and Leilani doe-eyed. Two passersby approach and immediately assume Jibran and Leilani have just killed the man.

In the heat of the moment, they flee the scene, assuming police would inevitably pin the murder on them. With no other recourse, Jibran and Leilani decide they need to pursue the suspect and, effectively, solve the crime to exonerate themselves.

The Lovebirds embodies buddy-cop meets romance, reminding us of classics like Date Night and Harold and Kumar, where the story consistency takes on ridiculous and comical turns. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, The Lovebirds does a good job of bringing out the best of the genre, picking up the pace where other recent romcoms have failed.

Jibran and Leilani are not particularly well-developed as characters. We understand them on a very surface level, knowing little more than their careers and an inkling of their tendencies within their relationship. Independently, Nanjiani and Rae have wonderful comedic timing, which makes The Lovebirds charming enough to stick out.

For those looking for an elaborate plot with eloquent screenwriting and elaborate cinematography, you may find that The Lovebirds falls short. But take it for what it is – a whimsical, silly romcom that you don’t need to read too much into.

 

★★★½☆