Film : I Love You, Man

A man without a woman is like a pistol without a hammer, wrote Victor Hugo. But a romantic comedy without a female lead, well, that’s just a fine bromance and now Hollywood business as usual, as most recently demonstrated by “I Love You, Man,” a fitfully funny comedy that owes much to Judd Apatow, the king of such sublimated man-on-man affairs. Though Mr. Apatow isn’t officially credited, his DNA is all over this bromance, which stars Paul Rudd as a wuss who mans up by befriending a guy’s guy (Jason Segel) whose masculinity is so secure he wears Ugg boots and shorts to walk his wee dog.

Though he shares the soft-body profile of the typical Apatow hero — a gentle belly swell, the suggestion of an A-cup — Mr. Segel has butched up somewhat to play Sydney Fife, a surprising object of platonic affection for Peter Klaven (Mr. Rudd). The last time Mr. Segel appeared on the big screen was in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” in which he played the feminized hero, a man who cries over his broken heart.

In that film he’s so coded female that his new (female) love interest jokes, “I can see your vagina” when he balks at jumping off a cliff into the ocean. Here, though, it’s Mr. Segel who plays gender police and deploys the requisite gyno-joke by affectionately telling Peter to take his tampon out, guy-speak for chill.

Peter’s problem, according to the strait-laced if gay-friendly people around him, is that he doesn’t have a dude to call his own, a best man who can stand by his side when he marries Zooey (Rashida Jones).

In the movie’s logic that makes Peter something less than a man and somewhat more of a woman: a semi-man or, if you prefer, a femi-man. He’s far more feminized than even his gay brother, Robbie (Andy Samberg), whom their father (J. K. Simmons) calls his best friend. And so, encouraged by fiancée and family, Peter goes looking for a soul brother, a search that first leads to some regrettable male bonding involving poker and puke and a little tongue (from Thomas Lennon) during a misconstrued man date.

Peter and Sydney finally meet during an open house. A junior realty agent one multimillion-dollar sale away from his own development dreams, Peter is trying to sell Lou Ferrigno’s mansion (the former Incredible Hulk puts in amusing nongreen face time in a small role) when Sydney starts chowing down on his gourmet sandwiches. A bachelor on the hunt for diamond-collared cougars, Sydney lives a low-impact Los Angeles life with a pooch and a romper room crammed with television sets, electric guitars, a drum kit and a designated masturbation chair. Interest blooms into camaraderie when the men discover a mutual love of the band Rush, which, between this and its appearance last year on “The Colbert Report,” is definitely riding a pop cultural wave.

The director John Hamburg, working from a story idea by Larry Levin, with whom he wrote the script, doesn’t do anything with the camera, but he sets a nice, easygoing tone for the actors.

That suits the talents of Mr. Rudd, a slack screen presence who owns the patent on male adorableness and is charming to watch, even if all he can do are variations on a theme: adorable embarrassment, adorable goofiness, adorable sexiness. He’s the ultimate in nonthreatening masculinity (Seth Rogen seems macho by comparison), the male equivalent of one of those plush animals girls and even some women like to keep piled high on their beds. Given that he’s more of a character actor than leading man, he’s perfectly cast in the “girl” role.

Mr. Segel, playing a less irritating character here than in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” manages to be almost as adorable if slightly less ingratiating than his co-star. More conceptual than believable, Sydney alternately recalls Dean Martin (after a few) and a far tamer version of the ultimate dude, a k a Jeff Lebowski. Unlike the Dude, however, the character played by Jeff Bridges in the Coen brothers comedy, Sydney isn’t struggling against the machine or spinning in circles to the sounds of Captain Beefheart. He’s just another would-be kid whose childhood friends have all moved on — to women, families and careers — but who wants to keep hanging out with the guys, which makes him a lot like the men who make these movies.

“I Love You, Man” is rated R (Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). Dirty words.

I LOVE YOU, MAN

Opens on Friday nationwide.

Directed by John Hamburg; written by Mr. Hamburg and Larry Levin, based on a story by Mr. Levin; director of photography, Lawrence Sher; edited by William Kerr; music by Theodore Shapiro; production designer, Andrew Laws; produced by Donald De Line and Mr. Hamburg; released by DreamWorks Pictures and Paramount Pictures. Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes.

WITH: Paul Rudd (Peter Klaven), Jason Segel (Sydney Fife), Rashida Jones (Zooey), Andy Samberg (Robbie), J. K. Simmons (Oz), Jane Curtin (Joyce), Jon Favreau (Barry), Thomas Lennon (Doug), Jaime Pressly (Denise) and Lou Ferrigno (himself).

From : New York Times