REELGUY’S REEL REVIEW: “I Love You, Man” reigning comedic champ in theatres
This unconventional romantic comedy focuses on the guy instead of the girl in a relationship. Specifically, the lack of male friends Peter Klaven has when he asks his gal, Zooey, to marry him. Paul Rudd (“Role Models”) stars as Peter, in this film directed by the underappreciated writer-director of “Along Came Polly,” John Hamburg. It takes a special comedian/director connection to create such a successful comedy out of well-worn material. But taking a different perspective on the ‘preparing for a wedding’ film by focusing on the groom’s wedding party - or lack of one - makes the story fresh and enjoyable. Rudd’s socially awkward leading man proves the perfect comic foil for the quirky cast of characters he runs into looking for his best man. “I Love You, Man” continues Rudd’s streak of comedic success as the average man every guy relates to.
Peter’s bounced from relationship to relationship for most of his life, focusing on his partner to the exclusion of any friends. He takes the leap with Zooey (Rashida Jones; TV’s “The Office”) and asks her to marry him. Zooey is content in her relationship with the attentive Peter but she is worried that her wedding party will be overly lopsided. Peter takes the situation into his own hands, with a little help from his family, and starts going out on “man-dates” searching for a best friend to become his best man. Peter’s ruinous encounters with some eccentric fellows cause him to lose hope. Then he meets the easygoing bohemian Sydney Fife (Jason Segel; “Forgetting Sarah Marshall”) and they unexpectedly click. Will the “bro-mance” work in time for the wedding or will Peter be walking down the aisle without a best man?
Rudd continues to astound as the perfect comedian for depicting our society’s awkward social rituals in a humorous and insightful light. Peter does not know how to relate to other men, either offending them or “weird-ing” them out with his uptight manner and poor small talking skills. Some of the humor in the movie takes time to develop rather than going for the quick joke, with a rich payoff that the story can continue to go back to. For example, a particularly positive “man-date” becomes awkward when the other guy thinks the situation is meant to be romantic. The same guy will reappear later in the film and call Peter out for his earlier actions, to the audience’s continued enjoyment.
Segel compliments Rudd’s style by taking an especially relaxed attitude to everything. He puts up with Peter’s strange behavior and habit of coming up with stupid nicknames, by ignoring it or laughing it off. Sydney is also honest to a fault, causing a stir with Peter and his fiancee when he delves into topic areas not otherwise discussed. There are moments of rude humor throughout the film but they are handled so deftly by the cast and director, that a mature audience is unlikely to be offended or embarrassed. Zooey’s relationship with her two girlfriends also creates moments of genuine humor, as she tells them everything. Though Zooey doesn’t have as big a role as traditionally occurs in a rom-com, she makes the most of her time on-screen creating a character the viewer cares about.
There are so many other good performances by the supporting cast including J.K. Simmons, Jane Curtain, and Andy Samberg as Peter’s family and Jon Favreau as a mean-spirited spouse of one of Zooey’s friends, that the movie is never without an interesting character or situation on-screen. The not so easy task of making the audience care for these characters while we laugh at them culminates in a finale where Peter may lose his fiancee, best friend, or both by the day of the wedding. “I Love You, Man” is the reigning comedic champ at the 2009 box-office, rightfully laying waste to its nearest competition.
Rated R for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references.
