Movie Breakdown: Lucy And Desi (Noah)

Pre-Screening Stance:

A documentary about two of the great comedic actors of all time … directed by Amy Poehler? Yeah, sure, I’m sure it’ll be great.

Post-Screening Rant:

Here’s the thing: Lucy and Desi is a very nice, very informative, very well-produced documentary about the titular comedic duo of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and that’s about it. Amy Poehler – clearly an enormous fan of the groundbreaking couple – has done a fantastic job of gathering audio and video clips of the couple’s lives and careers, splicing them together with a well curated selection of talking head style interviews to walk viewers through the ups and downs of being a couple in both life and on-camera. She has, bluntly put, made a documentary. A good one, but not one that pushes any boundaries or, even for a relative dunce when it comes to Lucy and Desi, explores any avenues of the couple’s existence that seemed particularly unexplored. This is, for all intents and purposes, Lucy and Desi 101. That said, Poehler does a damn fine job of choosing clips that highlight why Lucille Ball was so famous on and off the screen. The director has also crafted the film so it feels, to some degree, like you’re sitting in a room with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz as they walk you through their lives. And if it doesn’t ever transcend the documentary form, it is a well made and infinitely enjoyable peek into these comedic legend’s lives.

One Last Thought:

Again, total L&D dunce here, but who knew that this outright power couple were so powerful that they owned a studio called DesiLu that put out some of the great comics and shows of the 20th Century? Not this guy.