What a pleasant surprise. I loved every minute of I Love You, Man. It is, start to finish, a winning, funny, charming, and surprising comedy.
It’s a fact that the more movies you watch, the more they all seem alike. It’s the bane of movie critics and probably why so many seem so cynical and so hard to please. I often catch myself exhibiting symptoms of this “critics hate everything” disease.
Just today, while watching the previews before I Love You, Man, I noticed my eyes rolling while the audience laughed at one moment after another that struck me as tired, over-familiar, lame. I had similarly cringed weeks earlier while watching the I Love You, Man trailer and glancing at its poster.
So, I was very happy to discover that the movie offers everything it takes to elevate a potentially cookie-cutter comedy to greatness – engaging and endearing characters to care about and a neat twist.
Paul Rudd stars as Peter Klaven, a successful real estate agent with big plans. Topping the list is marrying Zooey (Rashida Jones) and everything seems perfect when he gets down on one knee and she says “Yes” with a smile and a tear. There is one problem – one of those movie problems – though. He only knows how to relate to women. He doesn’t have any close male friends. He is short one best man.
After overhearing Zooey’s friends – she has a surplus of gal-pals – express concern that he may be too “clingy” as a husband and suspicion that he doesn’t hang out with the guys, Peter decides he better get started man-dating right away. And, as you can imagine, it’s not without its pitfalls and embarrassments.
One date leaves Zooey questioning why his breath smells of cigarettes and him realizing that fine dining can give the other guy the wrong idea. An evening of poker and lots of beer with the guys leaves him feeling all is hopeless when he doesn't know the value of a flush and he isn't able to hold that beer. And then, into Peter’s open house for the upscale home of Lou “The Hulk” Ferrigno walks Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), the man of Peter’s dreams.
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