Seen on: March 22, 2009

The players: Director: John Hamburg, Writers: Larry Levin, John Hamburg, Cast: Paul Rudd, Jason Segel, Rashida Jones, Sarah Burns, Jaime Pressly

Facts of interest: Rudd also starred in "Role Models," while Segel recently starred in "Forgetting Sarah Marshall."

The plot: Rudd stars as a recently engaged man who has no guy friends and heads out to look for the perfect best man.

Our thoughts: In John Hamburg’s buddy comedy “I Love You, Man,” Paul Rudd plays Peter Klaven, a recently engaged real estate agent with a big problem: he really needs a best man, but much to his chagrin, he has absolutely no guy friends. Only solution: go on a series of ‘man-dates’ to find the perfect best buddy.

Alas, things don’t really work out that well for Peter at first, at least not until he bumps into Sydney (Jason Segel), a free-spirited, very direct guy who may just be the kind of friend Peter is looking for. But as the two men begin to bond and spend a lot of time together, Peter’s relationship with his fiancée suddenly starts to suffer…

I was really looking forward to seeing “I Love You, Man” after being pleasantly surprised by the film’s trailer and spots, and although I didn’t find it to be as funny as I originally expected, I do admit I still had a great time watching Rudd and Segel connect so well on the big screen.

Indeed, the success of “I Love You, Man” can easily attributed to the highly refreshing performances and top-notch chemistry between most of the film’s central characters. Rudd and Segel obviously share the best onscreen moments, and watching them becoming best buddies is utterly entertaining.

Sure, the script is somewhat predictable and some of the film’s jokes aren’t as funny as you may expect, but as a whole, this light-hearted tale of male friendship makes for a fun cinematic experience. Whether Peter and Sydney jam in Sydney’s crib or have dinner or take walks, most of their activities and conversations are sincere and quite amusing.

The film is a tad raunchy at times, but none of what you see here is annoying or really embarrassing. The characters appear a bit thin at times, but then again, there’s quite a lot of honesty in what they have to say. As long as you don’t go looking for a strong depth in “I Love You, Man,” I’m sure you’ll have a refreshing time.

Technically, the movie falls victim to some flaws. Hamburg’s direction remains simple throughout, and especially the editing is quite messy at times. That said, I’m glad Hamburg managed to put together an amusing comedy, because his previous effort “Along Came Polly” is still among the films I loathe the most.

Although Rudd and Segel steal the show, Rudd also shares a wonderful chemistry with Rashida Jones, who plays his fiancée Zooey. Other notable supporting players include Jon Favreau, who plays an asshole, and Jaime Pressly, who’s on board as his wife. Sarah Burns and Andy Samberg get to deliver a few funny lines as well.

Freaky quote: “Oh no, I don't clean up after my dog." – Jason Segel

The final word: I know I didn’t say that much about the film except for the great performances by Rudd and Segel, but as a matter of fact, that’s exactly what made me enjoy this movie so much. Before Segel is introduced, “I Love You, Man” is rather slow and simplistic, but once Peter and Sydney connect, the film becomes easier to enjoy.

Article by Franck Tabouring