1. but ultimately, these subjects get buried in the utter pointlessness of the central romance and, at most, act as just another distraction tactic, a cheap curve ball in an attempt to develop some sort of plot and keep the story alive.

단어 utter pointlessness : 완전한 무의미한 ,at most : 기껏해야 curve ball : 책략 ,distraction tactic:머리를 식혀주는 전략,

2.it almost felt like these issues were used by the director as a mere replacement for the more commonly used rom-com twists like a past lover or some family situation, delaying the romance between the central characters for a bit longer.

해석 부탁해요..ㅠㅠ