Movie Review: The Lovebirds

Netflix's deep pockets and desire to put out as much content as possible has made them an ideal life raft for projects that had their theatrical release plans altered by the pandemic. The first of these acquisitions, the Issa Rae/Kumail Nanjiani-led comedy The Lovebirds that was previously set to be distributed by Paramount, hit the service last Friday and proved to be another quality addition to their increasingly impressive original film library.

Rae and Nanjiani play a New Orleans couple that's dangerously close to breaking up after 4 years together that suddenly become on-the-run fugitives after a man claiming to be a cop (Paul Sparks) commanders their vehicle and uses it to kill a man (Nicolas X. Parsons) that they coincidentally already hit with their car earlier in the evening. In an attempt to clear their names after fleeing the scene in a panic following a misunderstanding with another couple (Catherine Cohen, Barry Rothbart) that finds the body, they have to play amateur detectives and end up stumbling upon a seedy underworld in their city that they never knew existed.

As much as it could've benefited from further embracing the zaniness of its premise, Rae and Nanjiani do more than enough to make The Lovebirds work. At just 87 minutes (with credits) and no significant supporting characters to aid them, these two are tasked with handling the brunt of the comedic load and they pull it off with confident ease. Whether its arguing about restaurants, trying to talk their way out of being tortured or intimidating fratboys for information, each of their quick-witted exchanges has a natural rhythm that makes their banter (and partnership) feel completely believable. Setting up two talented, well-matched comedians with a string of situations where the improv opportunities are abundant is a pretty foolproof plan to make a comedy that hits the right notes.

There's definitely nitpicks to be had (the romantic aspect of Rae and Nanjiani's dynamic isn't as convincing as the comedic one, some lulls in the laughs department around the halfway point, the aforementioned restraint when it comes to digging into the crazier developments in its plot) that prevent it from reaching its full potential, but none of them are enough to stop The Lovebirds from being a breezy watch with some soaring comedic peaks and a proper showcase for two of the industry's most justifiably buzzed-about rising stars. It was honestly just nice to be able to watch a project that was set to be released earlier in the year actually set the light of the day amidst all of the disheartening craziness that the world is currently going through. Lord knows we need some laughs in 2020 and The Lovebirds certainly does it part in delivering them.    
 
Grade: B

2020 NFL Position Rankings: Top 30 Tackles

30.Russell Okung (Panthers)
29.Marcus Cannon (Patriots)
28.Trent Brown (Raiders)
27.Riley Reiff (Vikings)
26.Charles Jeno Jr. (Bears)
25.Dion Dawkins (Bills)
24.Matt Feiler (Steelers)
23.Garrett Bolles (Broncos)
22.Taylor Decker (Lions)
21.Taylor Moton (Panthers)
20.Braden Smith (Colts)
19.Laremy Tunsil (Texans)
18.La'el Collins (Cowboys)
17.Trent Williams (49ers)
16.Taylor Lewan (Titans)
15.Bryan Bulaga (Chargers)
14.Duane Brown (Seahawks)
13.Alejandro Villanueva (Steelers)
12.Jack Conklin (Browns)
11.Andrew Whitworth (Rams)
10.Jason Peters (Free Agent)
9.Jake Matthews (Falcons)
8.Anthony Castonzo (Colts)
7.Tyron Smith (Cowboys)
6.Ronnie Stanley (Ravens)
5.Terron Armstead (Saints)
4.Mitchell Schwartz (Chiefs)
3.Ryan Ramcyzk (Saints)
2.Lane Johnson (Eagles)
1.David Bakhtiari (Packers)

2020 NFL Position Rankings: Top 20 Tight Ends

20.Jacob Hollister (Seahawks)
19.Hayden Hurst (Falcons)
18.Jonnu Smith (Titans)
17.Jack Doyle (Colts)
16.O.J. Howard (Buccaneers)
15.Greg Olsen (Seahawks)
14.Gerald Everett (Rams)
13.Eric Ebron (Steelers)
12.Kyle Rudolph (Vikings)
11.Evan Engram (Giants)
10.Dallas Goedert (Eagles)
9.Tyler Higbee (Rams)
8.Hunter Henry (Chargers)
7.Jared Cook (Saints)
6.Darren Waller (Raiders)
5.Austin Hooper (Browns)
4.Mark Andrews (Ravens)
3.Zach Ertz (Eagles)
2.Travis Kelce (Chiefs)
1.George Kittle (49ers)

Most Underrated Movies of the 2010's (By Year): 2012

Honorable Mentions: American Reunion, Dredd, Looper

End of Watch: Subversion is essentially a foreign concept in the world of police procedurals. Traditionally, thee stories tend to follow a group of cops investigating who is behind a series of criminal acts (typically murders) without really divulging who these characters are outside of their professional lives. End of Watch approaches the genre differently. Writer/director David Ayer spends just as much time developing the men (Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena-both outstanding) behind the badge as it does following them around as they try to survive after getting marked by a cartel following their discovery of a human trafficking operation during a routine call. Taking the time to develop these characters' lives as well as their relationship with each other gives End of Watch a rawer, more human feel and elevates the emotional impact of the unexpected ending.        

The Expendables 2: Sylvester Stallone had a very simple goal with The Expendables: assemble an all- star team of action stars from past and present to make a vintage, over-the-top blockbuster. Considering that the film featured a murder's row of genre legends and an abundance of electrifying action sequences filled with applause-worthy moments (Terry Crews mowing people down in a narrow hallway with an AA-12 shotgun, Dolph Lundgren harpooning a pirate torso's to the wall, Randy Couture spearing Stone Cold Steve Austin into a ring of fire), it's safe to say that he achieved that goal with ease. The Expendables 2 managed to do an even better job of bringing Stallone's maximalist vision to life. Embracing a lighter, more self-aware tone, bringing on the slyly charismatic Jean-Claude Van Damme as the villain and of course, continuing to deliver tremendous bursts of massive, gory action made this a note perfect recreation of the late 80's/early 90's action movie aesthetic.

Smashed: This way under-the-radar indie triumph may contain the single most realistic portrayal of alcoholism I've ever seen on screen. Through its grounded script that never even comes close to fetishizing this delicate subject matter and a completely fearless performance from Mary Elizabeth Winstead as an elementary school teacher who reluctantly begins going to AA meetings following an embarrassing public intoxication incident, Smashed highlights the ugly revelations that come to light once the haze of perpetual intoxication goes away as well as the huge challenges that come with trying to shake an addiction that has dictated how you lived your life for so long. It's a beautiful, devastating and important movie that deserves to  (and hopefully will) find an audience at some point.

Arnold Schwarzenegger Ranked

Welcome to the latest edition of my Ranked series, where I rank a franchise or filmography of an actor/director from worst to best and hand out related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of action star/former California governor/proud donkey owner Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Arnold Schwarzenegger's Filmography Rankings:
23.Batman & Robin (D)
22.Red Heat (C+)
21.Last Action Hero (C+)
20.Terminator Genysis (B-)
19.Maggie (B-)
18.The Expendables 3 (B)
17.True Lies (B)
16.Kindergarten Cop (B)
15.Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (B)
14.The Running Man (B)
13.Escape Plan (B+)
12.Terminator: Dark Fate (B+)
11.Sabotage (B+)
10.Eraser (B+)
9.Commando (B+)
8.Total Recall (B+)
7.The Terminator (A-)
6.The Last Stand (A-)
5.The Expendables (A)
4.The Expendables 2 (A)
3.Jingle All the Way (A)
2.Predator (A)
1.Terminator 2: Judgement Day (A+)

Top Dog: Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
As willing as I am to defend the four polarizing entries that have been released since I've been alive (particularly last year's Dark Fate), they're all guilty of one cardinal sin: they're not Terminator 2. By further developing its iconic characters, upping the ante from an action/visual effects standpoint and adding an iconic villain (Robert Patrick's T-1000) to the mix, T2 helped dispel the myth that sequels couldn't be better than the originals.  

Lowlight: Batman & Robin (1997)
Cartoonish superhero movies can be great (look at Thor: Ragnarok, Birds of Prey and the Deadpool series). Batman & Robin is the kind of debacle that can happen when that formula backfires. Instead of being colorful, funny and self-aware like the aforementioned titles, Batman and Robin's full descent into campy comic book madness plays out like an annoying gimmick that only becomes more tiresome by the minute.

Most Underrated: The Last Stand (2013)
Any movie that features a climax that includes Schwarzenegger manning a mini-gun in the back of a school bus, Johnny Knoxville blowing up a man with a flare gun and an old lady capping a cartel henchman that unexpectedly enters her living room is going to earn high marks from me. This gloriously over-the-top B-action flick, which was the action icon's first starring role since 2003's Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, is exactly the type of exhilarating ass-kicking, joke-cracking thrill ride that cemented his stardom 30 years prior and easily ranks among the most purely fun movies he's ever made.

Most Overrated: True Lies (1994) 
While it definitely delivers in the action department, True Lies is a pretty overstuffed and tonally-inconsistent movie that foreshadowed the creative cliff James Cameron would eventually fall off of. The entire subplot involving Schwarzenegger's character following his wife around (Jamie Lee Curtis) to see if she's having an affair was a completely joyless (not to mention, borderline creepy) exercise that goes on for far too long and completely clashes with the huge, absurd action setpieces that occupy the final hour of the movie.

Top One-Liner: "You're Luggage" Eraser (1996)

(If you just want to see the line, fast forward to 2:40)
One-liners are a huge part of Schwarzenegger's legacy as an actor. You could probably fill a novel with all of the quotes of his that have bled into the general lexicon over the past 35 years. While it might not match "I'll be back" or "It's not a tumor" from a recognizability standpoint, this gem from his last delightfully dumb action blockbuster of the 90's has been a favorite of mine for a bit now. His signature deadpan delivery makes this walk-off line following a huge kill an unforgettably hilarious ending to a truly insane scene.

Greatest Christmas Movie Ever Made: Jingle All the Way (1996)
Whether It's a Wonderful Life, Elf or even Die Hard, a lot of people have a Christmas movie that helps them get in the spirit of the season every year. Since I was a kid, Jingle All the Way has filled that role. Nothing sets the stage for a month of holiday cheer like Schwarzenegger fighting an army of Santa impersonators that try to sell him a knock-off toy, a deranged mailman (Sinbad) threatening police with a (real) letter bomb and an electric finale that includes FUCKING JETPACKS. Can Frosty, Rudolph and The Grinch really compete with that stacked of a dance card? Don't think so.    

Most Underrated Movies of the 2010's (By Year): 2011

Honorable Mentions: Hobo with a Shotgun, Horrible Bosses, Martha Marcy May Marlene  

50/50: As I mentioned in my Top 20 Movies of the 2010's countdown earlier this year, I believe this is the single most underrated movie of the past decade. By combing gut-wrenching emotion with a sharp sense of humor and an exceptional cast anchored by an astounding Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the protagonist, 50/50 tackles cancer and how it effects everyone from the patient to their loved ones with a realism that other similar films couldn't even dream of. Hopefully Will Reiser returns to screenwriting again someday because the film world needs more stories that are profound and well-rounded as this.

Attack the Block: Longtime Edgar Wright collaborator Joe Cornish proved he could match the brilliance of his friend when he finally got the chance to direct his own movie. Not since Wright's Shaun of the Dead has a film expertly blended tense genre thrills with broad comedy to make a gory, hilarious and deliriously entertaining concoction. If Attack the Block's success as a sci-fi/horror/comedy hybrid wasn't enough, it was also the vehicle that was responsible for launching the great John Boyega's career as well as giving the current Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker one of her first prominent roles. Pretty good resume for a scrappy little British production that cost a little under $9 million in US dollars.    

Super 8: Well before Stranger Things became a cultural phenomenon, J.J Abrams was dabbling in the art of making throwback sci-fi adventures where misfit 12-13 year olds have a series of encounters with alien lifeforms. Abrams gleefully captures the spirit of Steven Spielberg's early work (E.T., Close Encounters of the Third Kind) by packing Super 8 with enough heart, humor and wonderous spectacle to make it a damn near perfect piece of popcorn entertainment.

2020 NFL Position Rankings: Top 50 Wide Receivers

Note: Due to his uncertain future in the league, Antonio Brown was excluded from consideration for this list.

50.Christian Kirk (Cardinals)
49.Will Fuller (Texans)
48.Sterling Shepard (Giants)
47.Randall Cobb (Texans)
46.Cole Beasley (Bills)
45.Darius Slayton (Giants)
44.Marvin Jones Jr. (Lions)
43.Sammy Watkins (Chiefs)
42.Robby Anderson (Panthers)
41.Deebo Samuel (49ers)
40.D.K. Metcalf (Seahawks)
39.Jamison Crowder (Jets)
38.Golden Tate (Giants)
37.Alshon Jeffrey (Eagles)
36.Mike Williams (Chargers)
35.Emmanuel Sanders (Saints)
34.A.J. Green (Bengals)
33.Michael Gallup (Cowboys)
32.Larry Fitzgerald (Cardinals)
31.D.J. Chark (Jaguars)
30.A.J. Brown (Titans)
29.Terry McLaurin (Redskins)
28.Calvin Ridley (Falcons)
27.Brandin Cooks (Texans)
26.Courtland Sutton (Broncos)
25.Tyler Boyd (Bengals)
24.D.J. Moore (Panthers)
23.DeVante Parker (Dolphins)
22.John Brown (Bills)
21.Robert Woods (Rams)
20.Julian Edelman (Patriots)
19.JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers)
18.Kenny Golladay (Lions)
17.Cooper Kupp (Rams)
16.Jarvis Landry (Browns)
15.Amari Cooper (Cowboys)
14.Allen Robinson (Bears)
13.Tyler Lockett (Seahawks)
12.Adam Thielen (Vikings)
11.T.Y. Hilton (Colts)
10.Stefon Diggs (Bills)
9.Davante Adams (Packers)
8.Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns)
7.Keenan Allen (Chargers)
6.Tyreek Hill (Chiefs)
5.Chris Godwin (Buccaneers)
4.Mike Evans (Buccaneers)
3.Julio Jones (Falcons)
2.DeAndre Hopkins (Cardinals)
1.Michael Thomas (Saints)