Dir. John Hamburg, 15 April 2009, Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones - 3.5 STARS
The second generation Frat Pack is well and truly coming into its own, and, predictably, a slew of films featuring the latest comedy hot property have been hitting cinema screens. The lastest offering is I Love You Man – starring Jason Segel, fresh from his success in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and Paul Rudd, an old hand at the old buddy-comedy game.
Rudd plays Peter Klaven, a friendly but somewhat uptight realtor who is happily engaged to Zooey (Rashida Jones). However, he soon comes to realise that he’s always been a ‘girlfriend guy’, and has no friends close enough to be worthy of the coveted best man spot at his wedding. Cue a series of predictably catostropshic ‘man-dates’ before the entrance of Sydney (Segel), a brash but essentially harmless slacker who is thoroughly submerged in the mire of his masculinity.
The story is utterly inconsequential and painfully predictable, but Siegal and Rudd do a good job of conveying an infectious sense of fun. Their japes and tomfoolery take up about 80% of the film’s running time, and while most of it has absolutely no upshot for the plot, they keep laughs frequent enough. Segel in particular has a smirking charm that belies his vulnerability and makes him utterly endearing. Lou Frigno’s cameo as himself is another particular highlight, throwing his weight around like the Incredible Hulk he famously portrayed.
All in all, I Love You Man will not be remembered as the best of the recent cluster of Appatow-inspired comedies, or even one of the better ones. But it’s funny enough to justify it’s existence, and gentle enough to leave all but the most cynical movie-goer feeling a little bit warmer when the credits role.
Jack Evans
