Love Birds (2011)

Director:

Paul Murphy

Writer:

Nick Ward (written by)

Release Date:

24 February 2011 (New Zealand)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Plot:

Doug (Rhys Darby) thinks he has the perfect life and is stunned when long term girlfriend Susan (Faye Smythe) dumps him...

Awards:

5 nominations

Cast

Rhys Darby	...	Doug
Faye Smythe	...	Susan
Alvin Maharaj	...	Gurneesh
Wesley Dowdell	...	Brent
David Fane	...	Kanga
Craig Hall	...	Craig Watson
Mia Pistorius	...	Amanda
Sally Hawkins	...	Holly
Emily Barclay	...	Brenda
Bryan Brown	...	Dr. Buster
Sonia Gray	...	Ginger
Hannah Matthews	...	Zara
John Callen	...	Professor Craddock
Alan Harris	...	Professor
Michaela Rooney	...	Jessamine
Beck Taylor	...	Taylor
Tane Cullen	...	Artie
Eryn Wilson	...	Terry
Allan Border	...	Commentator
Matthew Metcalfe	...	Waiter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bronwyn Bradley	...	Mum 1
Zaverr Doctor	...	Robin
John Leigh	...	Quiz Master
Stacey Leilua	...	Mum 3
Sara Wiseman	...	Mum 2
John Enright	...	Duck Hunter #1 (uncredited)
Adam Gardiner	...	Ray (uncredited)

Directed by
Paul Murphy

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Nick Ward		written by

Produced by
Alan Harris	....	producer
Matthew Metcalfe	....	producer
Judith Trye	....	line producer
Karl Zohrab	....	co-producer

Original Music by
David Donaldson
Plan 9

Cinematography by
Alun Bollinger

Film Editing by
Chris Plummer

Casting by
Daniel Hubbard

Production Design by
Andrew McAlpine

Costume Design by
Kirsty Cameron

Makeup Department
Denise Kum	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Karl Zohrab	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kendall Finlayson	....	third assistant director
Liz Tan	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Daniel Birt	....	art director: second unit
Simon Clentworth	....	puppeteer/art runner
Rosie Guthrie	....	property master (as Rose Guthrie)
David Kolff	....	leadman
Greg Long	....	carpenter
Jenny Morgan	....	art department coordinator
Thomas Salpietro	....	assistant set dresser

Sound Department
Amy Barber	....	foley artist
Jonathan Bruce	....	foley editor
Tim Chaproniere	....	assistant re-recording mixer
Matt Cuirc	....	boom operator
Richard Flynn	....	sound mixer
Michael Hedges	....	sound re-recording mixer
Gilbert Lake	....	sound re-recording mixer
Matthew Lambourn	....	sound effects editor
Beauxregard Neylon	....	adr mixer
Tim Prebble	....	sound designer
Morgan Samuel	....	assistant dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Sven Harens	....	special effects floor supervisor

Visual Effects by
James Corden	....	flame / inferno artist
Paul Dickson	....	visual effects
Adam Kelway	....	compositor
Kathryn Raphael	....	visual effects coordinator (as Kath Raphael)
Matt Westbrooke	....	compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Gareth Daley	....	digital camera technician
Ants Farrell	....	electrician
Ants Farrell	....	second unit: lighting best boy
Rob Marsh	....	director of photography: second unit
Todd Nevill	....	best boy grip
Kerry Peck	....	lighting technician
James Rua	....	second assistant camera
Christopher Rudkin	....	video assist operator: second unit
David Sargison	....	lighting technician
Bradford Wood	....	hd video assist operator

Casting Department
Tina Cleary	....	casting
Gemma Sykes	....	casting assistant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sian Evans	....	costume supervisor
Emma Ransley	....	intern

Editorial Department
Tracey Brown	....	facilities coordinator: Park Road Post
Heidi Freeman	....	first assistant editor
Julian Karehana	....	assistant editor
Peter Williams	....	digital intermediate colorist

Music Department
Ian Neil	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Nicole Dade	....	production executive
Natalie Doherty	....	assistant accountant (as Natalie Price)
Gary Dunn	....	production runner
Teuila Field	....	on-set production assistant
Quentin Fullerton-Smith	....	production secretary
Robert Gibson	....	safety supervisor/medic
Diana Goulding	....	unit publicist
Harry Harrison	....	additional location scout
Veronique Lawrence	....	script supervisor
Andrew Marshall	....	assistant production coordinator
Niall O'Shea	....	assistant location manager
Donna Pearman	....	production coordinator
Bex Watts	....	key animal trainer
Kathryn Raphael	....	second unit script supervisor (uncredited)

Thanks
Claudia Bluemhuber	....	special thanks
Vicki O'Hagan	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• General Film Corporation
• Silver Reel

Distributors

• Blue Sky Media (2011) (Czech Republic) (all media)
• Icon Film Distribution (2011) (Australia) (all media)

Other Companies

• De Lane Lea  ADR recording
• Park Road Post  post-production sound services

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for some language

Runtime:

New Zealand:103 min

Country:

New Zealand

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Certification:

USA:PG-13 | Australia:PG

Filming Locations:

Auckland, New Zealand

Company:

General Film Corporation

A romantic comedy without a bitter aftertaste...

I'm sick of the Hollywood version of the romantic comedy. It seems like all this time, Hollywood has been trying to get close to repeating the critical and commercial success of When Harry Met Sally – itself an attempt to pull off a more accessible version of Woody Allen's late-70s bittersweet romantic comedies. However, Hollywood tends to get it wrong each time, with either bad casting, a bad script, or a very dubious moral centre (or all three - step forward Made Of Honour).

Away from the Hollywood version, Love Birds manages to entertain without leaving a bad aftertaste (the sort of guilt you usually feel after watching a romantic comedy when you realise you've just wasted 90 minutes of your life). Kiwi comedian Rhys Darby plays Doug, down-on-his-luck after being unceremoniously dumped by his long-term girlfriend. He finds solace in caring for an injured duck – also taken away from its partner – and this leads him to the supporting cast of Sally Hawkins and Bryan Brown.

Both actors are as awesome as ever, and Darby – by trade a stand-up comedian and comedic actor – more than stands up against them, carrying the film on his shoulders. The film is set in Auckland, New Zealand and it serves as a good showcase of the city's key features. In fact, the Auckland tourism board should really pay this film some attention (if it hasn't done already).

All in all, not the greatest film in the world, but a pretty entertaining one and a nice example of Kiwi filmmaking.