LOVE BIRDS

New Zealand, 2011, 103 minutes, Colour.
Rhys Darby, Sally Hawkins, Emily Barclay, Bryan Brown, Faye Smythe, Craig Hall.
Directed by Paul Murphy.

Love Birds is a very entertaining romantic comedy with a difference. And, it would be a great advantage for audiences to have a love for birds.

The central character is played by Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchordes). He is Doug, living at home, abandoned by his partner of two years, Susan (Faye Smythe) who urges him to grow up and branch out. At the same time, he encounters a duck with a broken wing. This becomes a symbol of himself, the screenplay making parallels between Doug and the duck, Pierre. They both need to learn how to fly.

The duck itself is quite engaging. and goes to a vet, a pleasant cameo by Bryan Brown, who gives him advice about what the duck can eat, suggests he takes the bird to a sanctuary, but Doug changes his mind, takes the bird home - who gets into his bath, wants to get into bed, seems to have a mind of its own – though he does not mind listening to songs by Queen in the car (many of which are in the score with significant lyrics).

Doug goes to the zoo to get advice, encounters Holly, Sally Hawkins, who is not immediately charmed by him but pressed by her co-worker, Brenda, Emily Barclay, they go to Doug’s house and make various suggestions – and, when Doug has a job at the zoo, he thanks her, takes her out, discovers she has a son who dislikes him, but, of course, he wins her over and takes the son to a cricket match, carrying the duck, and filmed for television.

Doug also has an interesting group of mates, multiracial, who enjoy going to a pub for quiz nights.

In fact, the film is quite engaging as are the leads and, for the time it is pleasantly on the screen, it seems rather plausible.

1. The title, romantic comedy? Birds in the plot? Audiences needing a love for birds?

2. Auckland, the cityscapes, houses, the work on the highways, the zoo, the fair, the planetarium? The range of songs from Queen? The apposite lyrics?

3. The duck and its being a metaphor for Doug and his life? The lost bird, losing its mate, masculine, needing the female? Alone, unable to fly? Being tended, urged to fly, the bonding with Doug, the finale?

4. Doug, his age, likeable, and his family home, his job, his mates and interactions with them, two years with Susan, his shock at her leaving, her dismissal of him? That he remained emotionally underdeveloped?

5. The dog in the house, the pursuit of the duck, finding the duck, its broken wing, mayhem in the house and scattering Susan’s goods, her return with her friend and disturbing all Doug’s possessions? Doug going to the vet, the vet and his style, personable, humorous? The advice to take the bird to the sanctuary, the woman in charge, genial, roaring at the birds, giving the duck a hat and the name? Doug leaving, stopping, returning? Taking Pierre home? Going to the zoo, the first encounter with Holly, her seeming indifference, his reaction? Wanting advice? Taylor attacking him in the street?

6. The duck, the identity of its type, the new name? Doug’s decision to keep Pierre? The vet and his advice, at the supermarket, buying the peas, Pierre enjoying them? Getting into the bath? Wanting to get into the bed, creating the noise? Travelling in the car, listening to the Queen music? Travelling in the bag?

7. Taking Pierre to work, the mates, the racial mix, their talk, playing cricket on the median strip, going to the quiz night?

8. Doug going to the zoo, asking help from Holly, Brenda and her interest in Holly dating, urging her to go to help, their coming to the house, the inflatable bath? The job at the zoo, Holly helping, the mates urging Doug on, Brent, the encounter with Brenda?

9. Doug thanking Holly, the meal at her home, Taylor and his friend, making the asteroid? Holly and the story of her husband, leaving, Taylor and his anxieties? Anti-Doug? as a new father? But Doug taking Taylor to the cricket, with Pierre, on television? Taking him to the planetarium, the professor and the explanations about the asteroid?

10. The quiz, Doug taking Holly, Brent upset, Brenda turning up? Doug dancing with Holly – and Susan coming in and seeing them?

11. Craig, friend, his business failing, Doug wanting to sell his house? Bankrupt? Meeting Susan, the sexual encounter, casual? The bankruptcy and his going to with Doug, hearing about Susan, wanting to warn him, going to the restaurant, creating the scene?

12. Susan, wanting only the best, being dumped by Doug?

13. Pierre, lost, the search, Doug going out in the rain, playing the Queen music, Pierre coming back?

14. Doug telling Holly that he was going to have dinner with Susan? Her being hurt? The failure of the dinner and his leaving?

15. Doug coming to the door, Holly not letting him in? At the fair, his dressing up as an astronaut, his apology, Taylor helping?

16. The vet, persuading Doug to let Pierre fly, going up in the balloon? Brent and his getting the mower fixed, its chasing Pierre – and Pierre flying?

17. Happy ending, Doug taking Holly in the balloon – and Doug transformed, like Pierre, and flying and finding a companion?