Love Birds

Rhys Darby, Sally Hawkins, Emily Barclay, Bryan Brown

Dir. Paul Murphy
Scr. Nick Ward

Thanks to some real cinematic gems that have come out of New Zealand over the last few years, I’ve really come to expect a lot of Kiwi films. Which is maybe why Love Birds fell flat for me – a boring, slightly random (and not in a good way) romantic comedy with some clunky acting and predictable plot. And I rarely laughed which, for me, was truly disappointing.

Love Birds tells the story of Doug (Darby), a happy-with-his-lot-in-life sort of guy transformed into a down-on-his-luck sort of guy after being dumped by his girlfriend. Doug, in a random twist of fate, discovers an injured duck on his roof. Attempts to give it to the zoo, a vet, a home for ducks all fail and Doug names it Pierre and decides to nurse it back to health. Both without a partner, they find a strange but sweet solace in each other. In his man-with-duck adventures he meets Holly (Hawkins), a bird expert at the Auckland Zoo and romance blossoms. Complete with complications, of course, which include her slightly creepy son, his ex-girlfriend and, unsurprisingly, Pierre.

There is a warmth to Love Birds which is certainly lacking in many romantic comedies to come out of Hollywood (which can too often be mean) or the UK (which can too often be depressing). But, unfortunately, warmth doesn’t necessarily grab an audience and I found myself tuning out. Some of the acting on offer here is good, some terrible. Bryan Brown is wasted in a short but just too crazy role as vet, Dr Buster. He simply grates. Faye Smyth, as Doug’s ex Susan, is just plain bad. And the kids that appear are not endearing or sweet or cute, just awful. Darby himself is a mixed bag, at times wooden and at times wonderful. I am a big fan of his stand-up and his Flight of the Conchords role, but he struggles to carry this film as a leading man should. Barclay, as fellow zoo worker and man crazy Brenda, is sweet and funny and really does shine. But it is Brit Hawkins who is all class and shows she’s a cut above the rest.

Love Birds really makes the most of its surrounds and showcases some very attractive parts of Auckland indeed. A great soundtrack, dominated by Doug’s favourite band Queen, also lends a pleasing air of familiarity to the film.

Overall, I guess Love Birds is a light, warm story of love and friendship. But this simply wasn’t enough and, coupled with a clichéd plot and some cringe-worthy acting, this Kiwi flick was disappointing. If you want to see a recent gem from New Zealand, I suggest you watch Boy.