Spring Break
Bromance lacks creativity, shines with cast
Sean Smith
Issue date: 3/13/09 Section: Arts & Entertainment
Everyone is familiar with the romantic comedy. One would be lying to say they had not seen at least one. The premise is pretty simple - boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall for each other. Boy messes things up with girl. Boy and girl reconcile and live happily ever after. Hollywood cranks these out by the masses. "I Love You, Man," however, takes a different approach to this by creating a whole new genre: the bromance. It is the platonic love story between two guys just looking for a best friend.
"I Love You, Man" opens with Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) as he proposes to his girlfriend, Zooey (Rashida Jones). While Zooey calls all of her closest friends, Peter realizes that he does not have any close friends to share his news with, let alone a guy friend to serve as his best man. On top of this, he over hears Zooey and her girlfriends talking about how it is creepy that his best friend is his mother. Soon, Peter enlists the help of his brother, Robbie (Andy Samberg), who sets him up on multiple awkward mandates, that end badly and, on occasion, French kissing, courtesy of Thomas Lennon.
After pretty much giving up on the friend search, Peter eventually meets Sydney Fife (Jason Segel). They soon hit it off and Peter starts to realize certain things that he could not do with his girlfriends, such as jamming to Rush in Sydney's man-cave (which is basically a tool shed with multiple TVs and every instrument you could dream of for a rock band) and eating fish tacos while drinking lots of beer. However, after a double date goes wrong, a fistfight between Sydney and Lou Ferrigno breaks out, and tension rises between Peter and Zooey - Peter must decide if he can balance his growing friendship with Sydney and his engagement with Zooey, or if he must choose between them.
"I Love You, Man" is an extremely by the numbers comedy written and directed by Jon Hamburg, who is best known for his movies "Along Came Polly" and "Meet the Parents" as well as the short lived television show "Undeclared." The premise is compelling and has the working to be incredibly funny, but at times it seems a little unfocused and uneventful. The movie tends to rely too much on the awkwardness of certain situations as opposed to really having much more depth to the plot. It has the vibe, as well as most of the cast, of a Judd Apatow flick - without the character.
"I Love You, Man" opens with Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) as he proposes to his girlfriend, Zooey (Rashida Jones). While Zooey calls all of her closest friends, Peter realizes that he does not have any close friends to share his news with, let alone a guy friend to serve as his best man. On top of this, he over hears Zooey and her girlfriends talking about how it is creepy that his best friend is his mother. Soon, Peter enlists the help of his brother, Robbie (Andy Samberg), who sets him up on multiple awkward mandates, that end badly and, on occasion, French kissing, courtesy of Thomas Lennon.
After pretty much giving up on the friend search, Peter eventually meets Sydney Fife (Jason Segel). They soon hit it off and Peter starts to realize certain things that he could not do with his girlfriends, such as jamming to Rush in Sydney's man-cave (which is basically a tool shed with multiple TVs and every instrument you could dream of for a rock band) and eating fish tacos while drinking lots of beer. However, after a double date goes wrong, a fistfight between Sydney and Lou Ferrigno breaks out, and tension rises between Peter and Zooey - Peter must decide if he can balance his growing friendship with Sydney and his engagement with Zooey, or if he must choose between them.
"I Love You, Man" is an extremely by the numbers comedy written and directed by Jon Hamburg, who is best known for his movies "Along Came Polly" and "Meet the Parents" as well as the short lived television show "Undeclared." The premise is compelling and has the working to be incredibly funny, but at times it seems a little unfocused and uneventful. The movie tends to rely too much on the awkwardness of certain situations as opposed to really having much more depth to the plot. It has the vibe, as well as most of the cast, of a Judd Apatow flick - without the character.
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