March 18, 2009
Review: I Love You, Man
The World's First Brom-Com?
The World's First Brom-Com?
It's an interesting premise for a comedy: the complicated, unspoken rules of male friendship (which have long been fodder for isolated jokes) are both revealed and questioned in a full-length bromance--or is it a brom-com?
It certainly follows the basic plot structure of a rom-com. Unlike many movies, however, this one begins with the proposal: realtor Paul Klaven (Paul Rudd) proposes to his girlfriend Zoe (Rashida Jones) in the first two minutes. But as we find out, Paul has no close male friends. The absence of a potential best man, combined with an overheard conversation insinuating Paul's lack of guy friends is freakish, drives Paul to go on a series of man dates. Eventually he meets and befriends Sydney Fife (Jason Segel). But soon fiancée and friend seem to pull him in opposite directions, creating the necessary plot crisis.
The main reason to see this movie.
It was refreshing to see such an honest portrayal of how close the rituals of friendship and dating can be. The movie also admits that being the cool loner doesn't always work out in real life. Regardless of your gender, you can probably relate to Paul's experience, especially if you've ever moved to a new town as an adult.
There were moments of fart/vomit/balls comedy that seemed just plain out of place with the rest of the movie, which is particularly ironic in a comedy that explores a less traditional version of masculine behavior--or maybe these were supposed to show that it was an acceptably male comedy? Or just the equivalent of vestigial appendages, primitive leftovers of the original, un-evolved genre? At any rate, these moments were distracting in their gratuitousness, but few and far between.
The guys in the theater seemed to enjoy the movie quite a bit. I enjoyed it to a more limited degree. I'm sorry to say this, but Jason Segel isn't half the comic actor that Paul Rudd is, and that drags the movie down. I'm only sorry to say it because Segel can play the loser-y schlub so effectively you actually do feel sorry for him, even if his character is less loser-y in this movie. But he really didn't make me laugh very much. Rashida Jones, too, did all right but has never struck me as a fantastic comedienne.
The non-snarky version of Paul Rudd, on the other hand, is just adorable, and that is really what carries this movie (at least for female viewers). Those pretty green eyes, that sweet smile, that alabaster skin! Seriously, at points I wasn't sure whether I was ogling him or merely admiring his skin care routine.
The supporting cast, too, is great. Andy Samburg is quite funny as Paul's gay brother Robbie, who understands men better than his straight brother. Jaime Pressley (one of my favorites) and Jon Favreau have great comic chemistry as horrible married couple. J.K. Simmons and Jane Curtain are vastly underutilized as Paul's parents.
Like most movies in the Apatow/guy juggernaut, this one is still working through its relationship with women. In the world of these writers, women are incurable gossips (not true) who really want oral sex (true), are reluctant to give it (sometimes true), but should, gosh darn it, because great guys like Paul are giving it to them six times a week (utterly and completely false). If only.
