I Love You, Man

There’s little doubt that I Love You, Man generally fares about as well as the majority of its post-Apatow comedy brethren, with the plotless, improvisation-heavy atmosphere occasionally resulting in big laughs but also ensuring that the movie possesses a stagnant feel that inevitably diminishes its overall impact. The storyline follows successful real estate agent Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) as he struggles to find a best man for his upcoming wedding, and although he eventually settles on a boisterous investor (Jason Segel’s Sydney Fife), Peter’s newfound friendship eventually threatens his coupling with wife-to-be Zooey (Rashida Jones). Director and cowriter John Hamburg has infused I Love You, Man with a freewheeling and downright affable vibe that proves instrumental in capturing the viewer’s interest at the film’s outset, with the uniformly charismatic performances effectively perpetuating the easy-going atmosphere (which, given the presence of scene-stealers like Andy Samberg, J.K. Simmons, and Jon Favreau within the supporting cast, isn’t terribly surprising, admittedly). And although Rudd’s surprisingly fearless work (eg his willingness to transform his character into a dork of the highest order is nothing short of astonishing) goes a long way towards initially compensating for the storyline’s almost aggressively bare bones nature, there does reach a point at which the less-than-propulsive narrative becomes increasingly difficult to overlook (with the lamentable yet expected inclusion of several eye-rollingly melodramatic third act twists undoubtedly exacerbating this feeling). The final result is a terminally uneven endeavor that’s often as hilarious as it is tedious, which is ultimately a shame given the talent both in front of and behind the camera.

**1/2 out of ****