Love You Man seen!

I’m shocked. I’m shocked I tell you. Not only was I given the opportunity to see the latest John Hamburg comedy, I LOVE YOU, MAN, but I can actually talk about it three months before the release!

Why is that shocking? Well, oftentimes when you see a film early, they want you to keep your thoughts to yourself until closer to the release. But with this latest film staring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel, the folks at Paramount actually want to spread the word. And yes, that is a damn good sign. I can honestly say that they have the right idea. I LOVE YOU, MAN is hilarious.

This is the story about a newly engaged real estate salesman that can’t seem to find a best man for his wedding. I guarantee there are a ton of guys out there that will be able to relate to him. And of course, the buddy he finds, is the ultimate bachelor who looks for love by going to an open house and seeking out rich divorcees, and hey, it also happens to be a great place for food. Both of these men instantly bond, but their relationship begins to affect the upcoming marriage.

Paul Rudd is Peter Klaven, the man who ends up telling all his girlfriends at work about the proposal he made. Why? He doesn’t have a single person to call. When he brings his beautiful fiancé Zooey (the fantastic Rashida Jones) to meet his family, he realizes how even his mom and pop (the incredibly talented Jane Curtain and J.K. Simmons) realize that he is hopeless when it comes to guy friends. So like any well-intentioned parent, mom asks Pete’s brother (Andy Samberg) to help him meet guys. After all, his brother is a pro at it, since he happens to be a gay man who specializes in picking up on straight, married fellows. All of this is presented in a smart and funny way, as Peter finds himself on a series of “man-dates” looking for a best friend.

But once Pete meets Sydney Fife (Segel), he seems to develop a man crush on this free-spirit who refuses to clean up after his dog. Both Rudd and Segel are terrific together, even when Rudd seems to be channeling Steve Carrell from THE FORTY-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN a tad. But either way, the two are great together and they do a rockin’ version of Rush’s “Tom Sawyer” with Rudd “slappin’ the bass”. And being that this is a “bromantic comedy”, it does for the most part, follow the formula. But the script is very funny and very clever. Also stealing the show, both Jon Favreau and believe it or not, Lou Ferrigno as himself, are incredibly well used here. The biggest let down is that the film is not scheduled for release until March 20th. I will be offering a full review at that time, but until then, I LOVE YOU, MAN is a film that you should add to your list of flicks to see in 2009.