I Love You, Man, has a fairly intriguing premise, especially considering that the marketing sells it for the type of movie that rarely yields anything refreshing or original: stupid buddy flick with lots of laughs. The cast has some favorites--the wonderfully dry Paul Rudd, Freaks and Geeks' Jason Segel, a criminally underused J.K. Simmons and SNL's Andy Samberg (sadly stuck with only one real scene). Despite some great actors, the chemistry comes off lacking, the pace leans towards plodding, and some of the jokes wear unbearably thin. This is especially disappointing, considering that underneath a predictable comedy lies a pretty intriguing concept.
Finding New Friends
Peter Klaven (Rudd) is getting married and it becomes rapidly apparent while planning the wedding that he has no real male friends. Clearly, the solution is to get some. Already, the notion of going out and finding friends addresses a strangely difficult task--how do you get friends? It soon parallels (all too realistically) blind dates and the woes that befall anyone trying to find a significant other. The film also touches on the much-understated but especially true idea that finding a wonderful new friend and confidant is often just as exciting as the first few dates in a romance.
I Love You, Man Falls Short of Its Promise
Despite these seldom-plumbed ideas, the movie as a whole falls short. Paul Rudd and Jason Segel are each decent in their roles--Rudd especially has a knack for charismatic doofishness--but somehow the chemistry is lacking. The interaction between the two has great timing and reactions, but somehow the two personalities never find the charge required to make the new friendship as exciting and inspiring as it should be.
Judging Before Viewing
The film respectfully restrains itself from making low brow or insipid jokes; for the most part it's a mature (ish) comedy that won't make viewers ashamed to be seen watching it. But the pace initially drags and events are few and far between--the ones that do occur are often forced and/or predictable. These are all faults of the film's artistic intent and it's worth calling them out. However, so many of these Judd Apatow-esque movies (for the record, Judd Apatow had nothing to do with this film) have been popping up left and right (it doesn't help when the audience sees the same 5-6 actors constantly rotated amongst the casting), it's unfortunately easy to dismiss it without any consideration.
Definitely Worth a Rental At Least
Sadly, most people who watch I Love You, Man, will be the same audience who perpetually seek out the dumb comedy genre. This film is honestly better than that; it's a shame it didn't have a little more helping it to the finish line. This film had a charming concept, and with better writing and a sharper focus, could have really pulled off something memorable and special. Unfortunately, it's quite possible to forget most of the film before it's even over.
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