I Love You, Man is a hilarious, manly take on the romantic comedy, applying those same issues of awkwardness and companionship to a platonic heterosexual relationship. The film manages to remain fresh while still following the typical rom-com formula beginning with the meet-cute followed by the montage, the big fight, and even a last-minute confession during the third act wedding.
Real estate agent, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd), has never had any close guy friends, let alone a best friend. He’s always gotten along better with the opposite sex. He’s closer to his mom (Jane Curtin) while his gay brother, Robbie (Andy Samberg), and dad (J.K. Simmons) are the best of buds. With Peter and his fiancée, Zooey (Rashida Jones), about to get married, the women is his life decide to help Peter find a best friend. They set Peter up on a series of man-dates to poor results. During an open house at the estate of Lou Ferrigno, Peter bumps into Sydney Fife (Jason Segel) who openly admits he’s only there to pick up vulnerable divorcees. He’s in investments though we never see him do any kind of work. Sydney lives in a house by Venice Beach and has set up his garage as the ultimate bachelor’s pad with electric guitars, drums, and a special recliner for masturbating. Sydney’s candidness, free-wheeling life, and love of Rush strike a chord with Peter whose idea of a good time is staying at home and watching Chocolat.
Neither the script nor the direction by John Hamburg (whose last big-screen credit was Along Came Polly) are anything to crow about. The appeal of I Love You, Man rests solely on the shoulders of its leads. Jason Segel is in-demand following his writing/starring turn in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, but it is these second banana roles (How I Met Your Mother, Knocked Up) that he excels at. He has a quirky, easy-going charm, most definitely someone you’d want to hang out with. His co-star, Paul Rudd, already has a proven track record as a strong supporting player in any comedy (The 40-Year Old Virgin, Anchorman). If there’s any justice in the world, the one-two punch of Role Models and I Love You, Man will cement his status as a bankable leading funnyman. His deadpan, sardonic wit makes him the perfect foil to Segel’s Sydney while spouting nonsensical slang like “totes magotes” or “latres on the menges.” Throw in the lovely Rashida Jones as well as Jon Favreau and Jaime Pressley as a quarreling couple and just a little bit of scatological humor make I Love You, Man the funniest movie of the year, so far.
Rating: ***
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