I Love You, Man (2009)

Real estate broker Pete (Paul Rudd) is a girl’s guy. His idea of a perfect date is a shared bottle of wine and the movie, Chocolat. After proposing to Zooey (Rashida Jones), he realizes the wedding party is a wee bit uneven. Pete has no guy friends and so begins his search for a best man. During an open house, he meets Sydney (Jason Segel)—an honest, if goofy man that might just be best man material. But can their courtship survive Pete’s engagement?

I Love You, Man is a comedy that tries to appeal to both sides of the aisle. Part bro-mance, part romantic comedy, the film falls short and it’s not for lack of trying. The chemistry between Rudd and Segel feels authentic, as does the Rudd/Jones combo. It’s the formula that gets in the way.

Casting is fun. J.K. Simmons, Andy Samberg, Jamie Pressly, and Jon Favreau support and often threaten to run off with the show. Simmons is particularly charming as Pete’s everyman father. Jones—as in The Office, just doesn’t do it for me. Rudd is holds his own, but Segel runs with it. Much like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Jason Segel has the physique to be relatable and the chemistry to match.

The film is overly sentimental and suffers from mediocre dialogue. The addition of disgusting (but seemingly required) gags and humor parlay the male vote, but were a quick turn off for this viewer. The entire cast seems to ad-lib with obvious enjoyment.

As I see it, I Love You, Man is more sophomoric buddy movie that romantic comedy. Approach as such and you’ll find it much more fun.