The plot to I Love You ,Man is very straightforward. Pete (Paul Rudd) needs a best man for his wedding to Zooey (Rashida Jones). Unfortunate for him, he has never bonded with his own sex. Female friends and family throw a series of dates his way to make friends before stumbling across Sydney Fife (Jason Segel). Sydney is something of a mysterious man with his own code and way of business. Paired with Rudd’s uptight realtor, the two display the chemistry that makes for a winning film.
Rudd and Segel are a good team and both are respectively hot items having recently starred in financially success films such as Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Role Models. Here, they jam to Rush, stroll the beach, and eat fish tacos. Rudd provides the awkward dialogue that contrasts with Segel’s slapstick. The most fun found in I Love You, Man occurs when you pick-up on the parallels to the classic chick flick. “Man-dates” replace the typical rom-com’s scenes. It isn’t long till you realize that the situation presented is a gender bender. Change some names in the screenplay, and you’d have a typical film about a guy/girl and his/her pal trying to play matchmaker. The twist is very refreshing, making the first 10 minutes more entertaining that the sum of He’s Just Not That Into You.
There is a lot of television talent to be found, and almost every role is filled by a face you’ll place. I particularly enjoyed Thomas Lennon of Reno 911! fame as a potential suitor for Pete’s ailment. With a small role, J.K. Simmons gets a couple of laughs, while the equally underused Andy Samberg moves outside of his comfort zone for the better. Even in the role he was born to play, Lou Ferrigno is such a scene stealer… it’s incredible (my apologizes).
I’m not a Rush fan, but most of the music used throughout the film is pleasant and well placed. Surprising thoughtful set design can be found in Sydney’s hangout. Editing and cinematography are very traditional and thus invisible to most. For me the big detractor is that I didn’t laugh. My state of entertainment was on the verge for much of the film, so it certainly wasn’t a bore and I credit the impending wedding as the plot device that kept it motivated. Still I have to evaluate a comedy on its ability to make a crowd roll through the aisles; anything short is less than brilliant in this genre.
All of the funnier bits are derived from what would have been edgy gross-out humor tens years ago. Bodily functions aren’t going to fill everyone’s quota, but they were occasionally enough to give me a guilty smile thanks to some alterations on the tradition. Today it appears tame by comparison, and sparing some F-bombs, it could have had a shot at a PG-13. At face value, I wasn’t laughing out loud; but a frequent smirk is a positive sign. As a comedy it lacks the big showpiece designed to get crowds talking. I regret that it’s a throwaway flick, but regardless there is immediate entertainment value. ***
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