Starring Judd Apatow regulars Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, John Hamburg's comedy feels like an Apatow film, much like 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN and KNOCKED UP. But it's even closer to Segel's hit from last year, FORGETTING SARAH MARSHALL. Like those films, I LOVE YOU, MAN combines original characters, raunchy humor and genuine heart.
Peter Klaven (Rudd) is about to get married to Zooey (Rashida Jones, TV's THE OFFICE), but he doesn't have anyone to be his best man. Unlike his fiancée who has to choose between her two best friends Hailey (Sarah Burns, TV's DAMAGE CONTROL) and Denise (Jaime Pressly, TV's MY NAME IS EARL), Peter has no close guy friends. His brother Robbie (Andy Samberg, TV's SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE) advises him that he has to go out on man-dates to find someone. In addition to this stress, Peter, a realtor, is trying to sell the million-dollar home of HULK star Lou Ferrigno, who you don't want to get angry about selling his home. At an open house, Peter meets Sydney Fife (Segel), who trolls open houses for free food and hot divorcees. Peter likes Sydney's openness. Could this be the guy?
Rudd and Segel make a great comic odd couple. Rudd's Peter is a straight-laced metrosexual kind of guy, while Segel's Sydney is a bit unkempt, mildly rebellious kind of guy who lives in a bungalow on Venice Beach. While the plot structure is fairly conventional, Hamburg and writer Larry Levin (TVs SEINFELD) play on expectations, but twist those expectations in refreshing ways. Several times the plot seems like it has run upon cliché plot obstacles, but brings it back to the characters instead of drumming up fake conflict. It respects these characters and doesn't force them to change because of some cultural norms. In Sydney, Peter is able to be a looser version of the person he already was, without becoming Denise's brutish husband Barry (Jon Favreau, SWINGERS).
While the main theme is the difficultly for men to bond, the story doesn't avoid the ways male/male relationships differ from male/female relationships. In subtle ways, the story deals with double standards and why some guys get along with women easier than men. In doing this, Zooey is portrayed as a refreshingly secure and supportive girlfriend, yet not some ideal "girlfriend" fantasy, she has her own wants and desires as well. And in the end, the film breaks down the "rules" of how men should deal with women, because it really depends on the man.
The film made me laugh a lot. Rudd's comic timing is impeccable. No one plays awkwardness for laughs better. Segel is dry and unpredictable. He's playing a more confident version of the character he played in SARAH MARSHALL. Rudd's Peter changes because he wants to, while Segel's Sydney doesn't change because he wants to. And the film doesn't judge, but recognizes there has to be compromise with every choice we make in our lives. What really makes I LOVE YOU, MAN work is that it sees Peter and Sydney for who they are, and makes us understand why they would become friends. The characters come from someplace real, and so does the humor. We laugh via recognition, because we know these guys, but don't see them on the screen too often, if ever.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
