Given the wretched embarrassment that was “He’s Just Not That Into You,” I was afraid “I Love You, Man” would be another insulting attempt to build a movie around an overplayed catch phrase. I’m giddy at how wrong I was. “I Love You, Man” is the funniest movie in more than a year, and it’s really good, too.
Paul Rudd and Jason Segel are a comedy team with mad skills, and I will now officially see anything this odd couple does together. Rudd’s secure enough to be the movie’s doofus, and Segel’s got the charisma needed to play completely absurd characters. They perform a version of Rush’s “Limelight,” and it, too, speaks to their chemistry.
(The choice of Rush as the bonding band might seem curious, given that Segel is so much younger than Rudd. I didn’t know Rush still had such a reach, but I’m intimately familiar with the band’s power over men. I grew up minutes from the Canadian border, so I became used to guys preferring to air-jam to Rush instead of looking at my chest.)
Rudd is Peter Klaven (even his name’s uncool), a “girlfriend guy” who realizes he has no dude buddies when he proposes to Zooey, a woman with such a tight circle of friends they all know how often he goes downtown. “Lock down that tongue!” one of them says in approval on hearing the engagement news. He meets Sydney Fife, Segel’s strangely wise slob, in the course of filling out his side of the wedding party. They bond in Sydney’s tricked-out man cave.
Peter’s series of man dates could be nothing but a series of pot holes, but the performances are so on fire you’re never bothered by how flimsy the plot is. Andy Samberg is perfect as Peter’s gay brother. Jaime Pressly is a big surprise as Zooey’s brittle friend Denise, with a stellar Jon Favreau as her prick of a husband. Rob Huebel is memorable as Peter’s jackass co-worker.
It was refreshing to see women in a comedy who weren’t portrayed as desperate, needy or pathologically obsessed with shoes. Zooey (Rashida Jones) encourages Peter’s search for the perfect guy and even humors his newfound guy hobbies, like “slapping the bass.” It’s really remarkable – a wedding movie without a demonically possessed bride.
I was unsure of Rudd back in the “Anchorman” days. It has taken Rudd longer than, say, Will Ferrell or Seth Rogen, but he’s found his place. He can be vulnerable without being goofy. And Segel’s in his ascent after his role in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall.”
Co-written and directed by John Hamburg, “I Love You, Man” is Apatowian without being anabolically raunchy. It might sound strange to call it restrained, but it would have been easy for Hamburg to go way over the top, especially with the homophobe jokes.
Not that there’s necessarily anything wrong with that.
Now or Netflix: Now. Now, now.
Date night or GNO: This would work for either. Not too many movies you can say that about.
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Liz A. 03.26.09 at 12:48 pm
How has Paul Rudd been around for so long and just now seeming so hilarious. I watched Role Models, and even though it was formulaic, it was waaay better then I expected and very funny at parts.
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foradifferentkindofgirl (fadkog) 03.26.09 at 5:47 pm
I remember Paul Rudd in “Clueless” and his stint on “Friends,” but it seems like he’s in a huge, deserved career spin these days. I can’t wait to see this movie. The first time I saw a preview clip for it last winter somewhere online, I was sold, even though my fingers were crossed in hopes that it would actually be good.
abdpbt 03.27.09 at 5:58 pm
I really enjoyed this film, too. I had very low expectations and was quite pleasantly surprised.
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