I Love You, Man

-Jason Segal (left) and Paul Rudd (right) are the ultimate comedic duo in I Love You, Man.

***1/2 Stars

When it comes to grading Apatow flicks (although you'd never suspect that Apatow had nothing to do with this one unless you checked the end credits) I feel like sometimes I grade on a curve. And perhaps I Love You, Man really is only a three-star movie. But when it comes to these "Apatow" flicks, today's ultimate zeitgeist comedies, maybe grading on a curve is acceptable (especially in comparisons to other comedies being released today: Miss March, The Love Guru, any Jason Friedberg/Aaron Seltzer collaboration). I Love You, Man may have a sitcom like premise (a guy goes on man-dates to find a best friend/best man before his wedding) but the story never falls into formula and the jokes are rapid-fire.

According to the new Entertainment Weekly, Paul Rudd is "the most lovable movie star on the planet". At first, I felt that statement was a bit premature, but think about it. Who on the planet doesn't love Paul Rudd? The man's presence in any film has that instant feeling of comedic-gratification. After making a career on supporting and co-starring roles, Rudd steps into the spotlight with I Love You, Man, the most refreshing comedy of the new year.

Rudd plays Peter Klavin, a sweet and lovable man who rightfully deserves the dreamgirl he is engaged to. Rashida Jones plays the lucky woman Zooey, whose man's only problem is that he puts too much effort into his relationship causing him to lose any chance of long-term friendships. Every guy knows another guy like this. The one who ditches you to hang out with their girlfriend time after time again. Now the instant reaction for a guy is that he must be "whipped" by his girlfriend. Why else would he spend so much time with her? If it was up to him he would be acting like a jerk and making raunchy jokes with his buddies at lame poker game nights. Right? Wrong. It's 2009. Acting with this description is so 1997.

Alright, I admit. There are many cases where guys will ditch their friends for their girl too many times. That can be annoying and frustrating in the rules of friendship. But this is exactly why I Love You, Man is a strikingly relevant comedy, because it has the ability to swing this notion to more mature situations. Behind every raunchy joke and vulgar scenario are important topics being covered that should translate to any guy willing to admit the one thing we socially can't: You don't always have to act like "a guy" to prove that you are a guy.

After many failed attempts to find a buddy, Peter meets Sydney Fife (Jason Segel) who appears to be the perfect guy-guy for any guy to hang out with (wow, how many times have I said guy in this review?). He is smart and witty, who mixes these qualities with sex jokes and pick-up lines. Over time, Peter tries to turn himself into a "guy" (there it is again) to fit in, but he doesn't realize that a true friendship forms between him and Sydney when he acts like himself, the person his fiance, family, and new best friend have grown to love. Who better to play that lovable person than "the most lovable movie star on the planet"? With a hilarious supporting cast (notably Jon Favreau, Jaime Pressly, Adam Samberg, and J.K Rollins) I Love You, Man is another worthy, Non-Judd Apatow addition to the Judd Apatow collection. You will love it, man.