Lucy and Desi Review: A charming look at comedy royalty

Our 2022 Sundance Film Festival coverage continues today with the review of the upcoming Prime Video documentary, Lucy and Desi.

Anyone who knows me knows that Lucy and Desi are two people who significantly impacted my childhood. I watched reruns as a kid on Nick at Night and I would laugh so much. So I was excited when I found out that there was going to be a film about the couple (Being The Ricardos) and well, we know how that played out. However, Amy Poehler decided she needed to remind us how amazing these two people were with this incredible look at two of TV’s biggest stars.

Directors who shoot documentaries about famous people sometimes forget who the film is about and highlight the people talking about the stars more than the stars themselves. Poehler wisely lets the stars of the film (Lucy and Desi) be the stars of the film by letting found footage tell the story in their words while sprinkling in commentary from others.

Lucy and Desi is a story of adversity, struggle, and triumphant victory

Lucille Ball was WAY before her time. She was the face of a TV show long before it was okay for a woman to be a face of a TV show. Ball had to work twice as hard as anyone to ensure that she never lost the spot she had earned. I fell even more in love with her journey and story during the film.

One thing that blew me away was finding out that Desi was the creator of the rerun. Upon Lucille having their baby, they took some time off and ran reruns of the show, which has been molded ever since. Like Ball, Desi Arnaz had a brilliant mind who fought and battled so much to become the star he ended up being.

Lucy and Desi is everything any fan of the comedy duo would want, a story of adversity, struggle, and triumphant victory. I loved this emotionally charged documentary so much and I thank Amy Poehler for her tremendous work at letting these two be the film’s stars.

Lucy and Desi will be available on Amazon Prime Video on March 4, 2022.