I Love You, Man Directed by: John Hamburg Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones Running Time: 1 hr 40 mins Rating: R
Plot: A guy, who completely loses male friends when he is involved with women, must find a best man before his wedding.
Who’s It For? The same dating crowd that loves to remember Forgetting Sarah Marshall would be treating themselves to an even funnier experience.
Expectations: Considering its cast, I thought this was going to be another comedy from Judd Apatow (it is not). Seth Rogen is nowhere to be seen, and the film's writers aren't even from the Apatow universe.
SCORECARD (0-10)
Actors:
Paul Rudd as Peter Klaven: Rudd is becoming the best man for romantic comedies. His carefully balanced level of handsomeness makes his attractiveness seemingly attainable to the ladies, yet his characters always seem to have a foot in guy-dom. That being said, this could be his best character yet as it showcases both aforementioned sides of him. He's all of the cliches we look for in that special someone - he's smart, he's handsome, and he's definitely funny. I love you, Paul Rudd. Score: 8
Jason Segel as Sydney Fife: Gable and Colbert...Hanks and Ryan...Segel and Rudd? Maybe not, but the chemistry between the two bros is certainly memorable. Segel plays his ultima-guy character Sydney with the same magnificent timing seen in "How I Met Your Mother" and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. At the same time, he has that Rudd-like presence that is thoroughly entertaining to both the guys and the girls. Score: 7
Rashida Jones as Zooey: The character of Zooey is one of less confrontation and more support, which Jones handles adequately when playing opposite Rudd. As his fiancee she is certainly not the focus of the film, but she's a key part in helping illustrate Peter's ironic relationship dilemma. Score: 6
Talking: There's a greedy amount of bro-vernacular that the film hopes will stick. Just a sample: "Bro Namath," "Dude Von Dudenstein" and "Totes Mcgotes." Such vernacular is memorable, but whether it will be implemented alongside regular slang is another issue. Score: 6
Sights: Sunny California boardwalks are the backdrop for many of the films' outdoor social interactions. More warming than the locations are Man's long list of cameos. It's quite lovely to see the likes of Andy Samberg, Rob Huebel, J.K Simmons, Jaime Pressly and even Lou Ferigno in the same movie. Score: 7
Sounds: This film is proudly modern, with references to borrowing "Lost" DVDs and even the lack of power in Macbook speakers. The element of freshness is further assisted by the film's soundtrack, which consists of bands like Vampire Weekend, Cake, and the Flaming Lips. Ironically, there's a huge Rush presence - their classic "Limelight" is heard at least three times. Score: 6
PLOT SPOILERS
Best Scene: Though violating the purpose of this paragraph, there are too many top scenes to just pick one.
Ending: Things are in order, but to the writers' credit it's not entirely predictable.
Questions: Is such funniness effortless?
Rewatchability: High chance, especially if you're a viewer who likes to see movies and be able to recite them. There's a lot of one-liners in I Love You, Man.
OVERALL
The film is only mature with its awkward and ironic premise (much more than something like I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry). With its adult humor, this is certainly not the case. Regardless, Man has even more laughs than Forgetting Sarah Marshall - specializing in the kind of laughs that explode from out of your stomach unexpectedly and don't stop (like the alien in Alien). To be fair, at times Rudd can push his improvisation towards abusive levels - some jokes carry on so long they become almost unrecognizable. But the greatness of this movie is that it rebounds itself quickly and with a smoothness that would make Fonzie weep.
Prepare to fall in love, man. A creative and hilarious spin on the idea of the hunt for a special someone, I Love You, Man is the first true bro-mantic comedy.
Final Score: 8/10