"Why is this guy funny?" is an impossible question to answer, but I think I've figured out why Kumail Nanjiani is guaranteed to get a guffaw outta me every time he opens his mouth.
His on-screen persona, from Dinesh on Silicon Valley, to his schmoozes on talk shows and podcasts, is of a sharp, insightful and erudite person… who will then smash his cred into a thousand pieces saying something truly dumb.
It's a simple enough gimmick, but it works on me every time. This formula (designed in a lab? stumbled upon accidentally? Nanjiani's actual personality?) is the spine of The Lovebirds, the latest film that was meant to come out in theaters pre-COVID-19, but has now gone direct to streaming. (In this case, via Netflix.) It's a good fit.
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