In “I Love You, Man,” the new comedy from writer/director John Hamburg (“Along Came Polly,” co-writer of “Meet the Parents,” “Meet the Fockers,” “Zoolander”), Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) is a successful real estate agent who, upon getting engaged to the woman of his dreams, Zooey, (Rashida Jones), discovers to his dismay that he has no male friend close enough to serve as his Best Man. Peter immediately embarks on a series of bizarre and awkward “man-dates” to find such a friend, before meeting Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), a fun-loving, charismatic man – just Peter’s opposite – with whom he instantly bonds. But the closer the two men get, the more Peter’s relationship with Zooey suffers, ultimately forcing him to choose between his fiancée and his newfound “bro,” in a story that comically explores what’s at the core of male friendship and what it truly means to be a friend.
Romantic comedies often share the same basic construct: boy meets girl, boy gets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back. John Hamburg’s “I Love You, Man” turns that classic approach on its head – it’s a “bromantic” comedy that takes a look at friendship between two guys – in this case, two men who are complete opposites. It’s definitley the male version of a chick flick. Good to watch if you’d want to have a good laugh.
Rating: 2/5
