I Love You, Man

This is the movie that proves how hard it is to meet a good man, especially when you are a man.

Paul Rudd stars as Peter – a dedicated boyfriend who pops the question to his girlfriend, Zooey (Rashida Jones). They are both very excited, but Zooey’s friends find it odd that Paul doesn’t have many guy pals, so he sets out into that wild, crazy, unpredictable world to meet some dudes. Finally, he runs into Sydney (Jason Segal) – a wacky investor who quickly bonds with Peter and might be Best Man material.

Can these two guys make it work?

Will Zooey be able to handle the changes in Paul and all of the time he is spending with Sydney?

I Love You, Man is hilarious. My big worry heading into the movie was that it would be full of homophobic jokes and reactions from other characters, but, while we get a few of those moments, writer/director John Hamburg and co-writer Larry Levin transform I Love You, Man into more of a romantic comedy about two dudes seeking a platonic relationship complete with the challenges and rewards relationships bring as they grow. It is quirky, off beat and has a certain sweetness to it that you might expect from a classic Judd Apatow movie, even if he had nothing to do with this one.

Most of all, the comedy is relatable. I Love You, Man is full of pop culture references that are familiar, but not overused or beaten to death in other movies. Peter, Sydney and the rest of the characters are wacky without being ridiculously dumb. Most of all, you get to see some of the funniest actors in the business performing at the highest level.

Rudd and Segal have great chemistry together and Lou Ferrigno makes the kind of memorable appearance that can relaunch a career. Rudd has the best delivery around as he seems truly puzzled by the craziness happening around him. Segal is able to be loony and crazy without going over the top, until he has to at the right moments, and Ferrigno gets the most laughs for being the bigger than life character you would expect him to be.

I Love You, Man is the movie to see if you need, want or have to laugh.

I Love You, Man is rated R for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references.