Review: I Love You, Man

Apr 17 2009 The Journal

landscape: I love you, man (DO NOT REUSE)

A PHRASE coined in the mid-90s and popularised almost a decade later in relation to David Beckham, the term metrosexual is now firmly embedded in popular culture, redefining so-called masculine norms.

It’s now acceptable for men to clutter the bathroom with beauty products, and spend hundreds of pounds on their clothes and bodies.

Cosmetic surgery is also an acceptable means to achieve the sculpted physiques touted on the glossy fronts of men’s health magazines.

The modern metrosexual looks just as good as the woman on his arm, if not better.

This film is a hilarious comedy of social mores, which surveys the emotional fallout when a quintessential 21st Century 30-something metrosexual is forced to rediscover the primal hunter-gatherer within.

Amusingly, his guide to the unspoken rules of male bonding is a confident, assured gay man with a passion for sports, fishing and video games.

Writer-director John Hamburg’s script takes great delight in up-ending convention, milking laughs from unexpected sources as the lead character makes a series of toe-curling faux pas in the process of enlarging his circle of drinking buddies.

Los Angeles estate agent, Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd), is head over heels in love with his long-term girlfriend Zooey (Rachida Jones).

She accepts his proposal, telling all of her gal pals the good news before they begin to plan the nuptials.

Peter realises he lacks a circle of male friends to call upon as best man and ushers. So, he nervously embarks on a series of ‘man dates’ to find new drinking buddies, with encouragement and guidance from his gay brother, Robbie (Andy Samberg).

Woman-chasing slacker Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), who apparently earns his cash through investments, gets under Peter’s skin and the pair become best friends, discovering an affinity for the rock group Rush.

As the friendship blossoms, Zooey begins to feel neglected and Peter is forced to re-evaluate his priorities to ensure everything goes smoothly.

The film bears the hallmarks of one of Judd Apatow’s bro-mantic comedies (The 40 Year Old Virgin, Superbad, Step Brothers, Pineapple Express) but this is all Hamburg’s creation and a delightful and charming confection at that.

The natural spark between Rudd and Segel is irresistible, peppered with obscenities and ad-libs, building to a genuinely moving scene between the characters at the altar that leaves a lump in the throat.

Supporting performances are equally appealing, including Sarah Burns and Jaime Pressly as Zooey’s sassy girlfriends and Jon Favreau as a chauvinistic bully, who is under the thumb of his wife.

I Love You, Man.