A Bro-mantic Comedy That Actually Works!

Rating: 7/10 (1 March 2010)

While most romantic comedies offer a simple formula, "I Love You, Man," offers a slight variation of the tried and true. In this film, our main character has already found the one and is instead in search of a some bro-love. While the concept may sound awkward at first, rest assured that the film keeps the laughs coming often enough that things never get weird.
Paul Rudd, whose resurrected career has been on a roll as of late, plays Pete, a successful real estate agent on the verge of marrying his dream girl, played by Rashida Jones ("Cop Out"). There's just one kink, though, as Pete is socially awkward and without male companionship, which means he's going to have a difficult time locking down a best man for his wedding. Enter Sydney, played by Jason Segal ("How I Met Your Mother"), who stumbles into Pete's life after crashing one of his open house events. The two hit it off, jam to a bit of Rush here and there, and before long, the two have a relationship that rivals that of Pete's impending nuptials.
"I Love You, Man" is a simply fun twist on an old genre. Rudd and Segal have great chemistry together (as hinted at in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") and you buy that they are best-buds. Not only is the film heavy on Rush tunes (always a plus, in my book) but the band themselves perform within the movie. Also in house are roles from the likes of Jane Curtain, J.K. Simmons, Andy Samberg, Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressly and the Incredible Hulk himself, Lou Ferrigno. On the downside, the film doesn't really offer anything new outside of its "bro-mance" angle, and in turn, is as by the numbers and predictable as it gets. In spite of this, though, it's a fun, feel-good film that is never short on laughs. Worth a watch for anyone who appreciates the Judd Apatow generation of comedies.