Movie Review: “I Love You, Man”

Posted by staticblog

on March 23, 2009M at 11:50 am

i-love-you-man

Rating: 80

“I Love You, Man” is that comedic sweet spot where the laugh lines are plentiful and even the supporting characters are unusually developed. As a showcase for the considerable comic skills of Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, “I Love You, Man” hits the right “bromantic” tone and has plenty to offer both men and the women who love and/or tolerate them.

Rudd stars as Peter Klaven, a Los Angeles realtor preparing for his wedding to Zooey (Rashida Jones of “The Office”), but it’s becoming increasingly clear there are no candidates for his best man. Peter always preferred the company of women, never assembled a group of buddies, and his few best male friends fell by the wayside as his girlfriends got closer.

Sent on a series of embarrassing “man dates” by his mother (Jane Curtin), Peter eventually meets Sydney Fife (Segel) at an open house. Sydney is a man-child with vague financial background and a surplus of time to hang out, a free spirit who lives life without restrictions — a perfect counterbalance and good-bad influence for the inhibited Peter, whose attempts at relaxed conversation can be hilariously awkward.

While not technically a Judd Apatow comedy, this John Hamburg-directed comedy orbits within the writer-director-producer’s universe. Not only are the lead actors “Team Apatow” repertory players, all the lowbrow moves are played with his characteristic style and humanity — this isn’t grossout for the sake of grossout. Even the film’s most disgusting scene, a drinking contest gone horribly awry, just illustrates Peter’s undeveloped capacity for competitive suds chugging in a male-bonding environment.

“I Love You, Man” depicts how young adults — men and women — really behave when bosses at home or at work aren’t looking. They’re overly blunt or secretive, act impulsively or with too much restraint, have their sensitive spots and revert to adolescence with chronic regularity. Best of all, “I Love You, Man” is relatable by both genders: the humor is nasty and fun, but it never gets leery, there is no strip-club scene, women are mostly revered rather than objectified, and the film’s view of sexual politics is sometimes disarmingly complex.

Best of all, “I Love You, Man” boast a great supporting cast led by Andy Samberg, Jamie Pressly and Jon Favreau, and the comic chemistry between Rudd and Segel is pure gold. These comedies work because the actors are at ease and can play off their co-stars’ style and humor. Segel and Rudd have well-established onscreen (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Knocked Up”) and offscreen rapport, so “I Love You, Man” is like hanging out with two witty friends, putting it head-and-shoulders above frat-comedy rabble and making it easy to love.

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