The Mosley Review: The Lovebirds
In the world of romantic comedies, its good to shake things up. The genre has always been formulaic, but recently the genre has been more adventurous. Now these films aren't afraid to be more realistic anymore when it comes to the conversations and fights couples have. This film takes that to heart within the first 20 minutes and I felt like I watched a classic rom-com in record time. It doesn't take long before the film kicks off into the more fun and action of the one insane night the main characters have. The comedy in the film was actually hilarious, topical and well timed. There were moments where I think the comedy over stayed its welcome and some decisions were just idiotic. If this sounds like your typical rom-com, then I would definitely agree and disagree. There's enough originality in the story and hilarious comedic chemistry to keep you entertained and interested throughout.
Kumail Nanjiani has always been one of my favorite actors and comedians and as Jibran, he was stellar. Issa Rae is climbing the charts to become one of my new favorite actresses and as Lelani, she was equally stellar. The two of them together were perfect in every way. The genuine chemistry was immediately explosive the moment you see them and even more so as their relationship becomes strained. They feed off of each other's excellent comedic abilities and their timing was hilarious. There are moments where there are added lines from both of them that sometimes make and brake a number of great moments. Anna Camp was great as Edie and now I have a reason to not trust her with pan of beacon grease. I wish there was a little bit more with her though. Paul Sparks was good as the murderous villain Moustache, but at times it felt like he was wasted.
The soundtrack in the film was good and I did like Michael Andrews groovy film score. The film was surprisingly gorgeous and I liked the lighting in a number of scenes. The comedy was great and the story was good, but thin. I would've liked a little more tension as the two characters were thrust into some crazy situations. Overall, this was a pretty straight forward romantic comedy that thankfully doesn't over stay its welcome. If you want something fun to watch on a date night that has some charming moments and will keep you laughing, then this film is for you. It is now streaming on Netflix for your enjoyment.
