Paul Rudd is an underrated comedic performer too often brushed aside into supporting performances just because he's not as big a name as the likes of Steve Carell and Seth Rogen. But when he's given the chance, as he was in the recent Role Models and now this, he shows he's not only capable at handling a leading role but also that he can do it better than a lot of bigger names. Rudd, a genuinely funny script, and some great supporting performances make I Love You, Man stand head and shoulders above some of the stuff which passes for mainstream comedy these days.
Rudd plays Peter Klaven, an open, honest, and hard-working estate agent about to enter into married life with his fiancée Zooey (a sweet and charming Rashida Jones). The only trouble is he's short of a best man, and after an embarrassing celebratory dinner with his parents and gay brother, he realises he's never had any real guy friends. So Peter sets out to make some male friends, and after a series of unsuccessful attempts he unintentionally stumbles across Sydney (Jason Segel), a carefree, charming guy with whom Peter immediately strikes up a strong friendship.
I Love You, Man joins the plethora of buddy pictures out there we've become comfortably accustomed to. The premise is nothing original, and one can argue that is a reason to ignore it right there. But once given a chance, you'll find that even though it may bask in an unoriginal storyline, that's the whole point of it. This isn't out to reinvent the knock knock joke, but rather to examine and explore the issues and themes these buddy pictures almost always include. It reaffirms the idea of male friendship, the fact that in a world where homosexuality is (hopefully, anyway) widely accepted, that there is still such a thing as a guy-guy friendship that is purely about hanging out and being guys, without any other connotations being unjustly thrown in the mix (although most of these types of movies, this one included, poke fun at that).
The movie does what all good comedies do — it plays to a niche audience while still broadly appealing to the masses. It's the pleasant nature, the likable characters (and actors who portray them) and moments of broad humour that everyone can relate to in one way or another that achieves the latter. I mean, who doesn't find funny, on a basic comedic level, a man refusing to clean up his dog's mess and screaming like a maniac at anyone who complains about his lack of public manners? And for those who like their comedy a bit more laden with pop culture references, I Love You, Man has you covered, too.
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