Judd Apatow hits just once again with LOVE. From Freaks and Geeks to Crazy Amy, Apatow has amply demonstrated his mastery of comic tricks. Here he digs the furrow of the intimate initiated in GIRLS, which he produced, and offers us an exploration of the love dithering of thirty-year-olds lost and neurotic. An anti-rom-com that will delight lovers of indie and sarcastic dialogues.
Meeting. Attraction. Doubts. Together, separated, then together again… Suffering from the syndrome "Will they? Won't they?(as a couple? not in a relationship?), season 1 of LOVE makes us live the beginnings of the story between Gus, a nice passive aggressive geek, and Mickey, whose cool appearance hides problems of addiction to alcohol, drugs, sex and feelings (no less). A pair that could be described as the Ross & Rachel of modern times.At the same time too good for each other, they are nevertheless perfect together in their imperfection. Or rather theirimperfections , because the list is long and the viewer has time to note them while the scenario lingers on the past and the imbalances of each of the twoprotagonists.
The season begins with Gus and Mickey's respective separations, and introduces a few supporting characters, including Bertie, Mickey's brilliant and naïve roommate, as well as each other's workplaces. A radio station for Mickey, and the set of Witchita (meta nod to the slew of the last Disney series) for Gus. We enter little by little into the daily life of each until their universes meet in an anti meet cute. Gus, hungover, advances money to Mickey for cigarettes, before smoking weed in his car. Then follow the oscillations specific to the beginning of a relationship, awakened by crazy situations, some unforeseen events and a handful of adventures, such as the episode at the Magic Castle, which make the charm of the series.
In short, a mix of bizarre and touching that works well in trashy moments as well as in clever and funny scenes. However, let's be honest, not much happens during these 10 30-minute episodes. The slow unfolding of the plot is undeniable but allows to sift through the personalities of the characters and the obstacles that can experience a budding relationship. A rhythm that is explained by the "indie" side, limit mumblecore, of the series. The performances of Gillian Jacobs and Paul Rust, whose chemistry on screen is excellent, then have plenty of time to express themselves. The viewer ends up appreciating them, and is carried away by the sequence of episodes, which looks more like a series of consecutive paintings than a consistent narrative thread.
Despite an uneven quality, some enjoyable scenes and many scathing lines are worth seeing. The gritty humor and nuanced work around the characters, whose shortcomings are treated seriously, make the romantic comedy realistic and modern. Yes, LOVE has its flaws, but she plays them without taking herself seriously.As an example, one of Mickey's lines to Gus: "Surprise, I'm not the cool girl. I'm not some girl that you can fuck for a while to prove to yourself that you can be dangerous, and edgy, and you're not some huge dork, and then you go off and marry whatever boring lady." ["Surprise, I'm not the cool girl you can fuck a few times to put yourself in danger and be stylish, instead of being a big geek, and then give up to marry any razor girl.»].
A welcome step back that takes the series away from the norms of the romantic comedy, and makes it always enjoyable, and sometimes even interesting, to watch. Of course, the elaborate sunny atmosphere of Los Angeles and the sympathetic soundtrack don't spoil anything. A series with the air of "false clichés" (and not false airs of cliché), in which the spectator lets himself be taken. The characters too, before the labels of "cool girl" and "touching nerd" shattered, allowing directors to play subtly.
The season ends with a question mark, which will find a beginning of answer in season 2 (criticism to come). Fans of You're the Worst or Casual will find their account in this first season, while the most reluctant to rom-com (anti- or not) will savor the bias of the series to talk about much more than love, as its title does not indicate.
