I Love You, Man

I Love You, Man
Originally uploaded by Mrs. JiJi Bean

The last time I saw I Love You, Man was with my younger brother, he loved it as did I. I didn’t find anything surprising in this as the movie is really aimed at the male gender, and I don’t typically like the majority of “chick flicks” out there, but I Love You, Man is right up my alley. This time I took my best friend Stefanie to the film; I was pretty sure that she’d like it but there is just enough testosterone in the film that I wasn’t sure she’d like it as much as I did.

The good news? We saw the film Friday, today is Sunday and she’s still quoting it. In fact, as we were about to play Wii golf she looked at me and said “This is my nightmare!”

I really loved I Love You, Man. While it hasn’t creped into Tropic Thunder territory for me yet, the film is definitely one of the best comedies I’ve seen this year, and one of the best films so far this year. I have never seen any of John Hamburg’s directorial efforts, but I enjoyed the styling of I Love You, Man enough that I will see the next film that Hamburg makes.

Sydney Fife: Society tells us we're civilized but the truth is we are animals. Sometimes we just have to let it out. Try it.
Peter Klaven: Blaaah!
Sydney Fife: Good. Now gently remove your tampon and try again.

I Love You, Man

Peter is a girlfriend guy; he doesn’t have many male friends and everyone knows it, he just gets along with females more than the average dude and he never thinks anything of it. When Peter gets engaged to his girlfriend Zooey he overhears she and her friends discussing his lack of male friends and decides to rectify this. Peter takes uses his brother, the internet and any kind of interaction he can to start meeting guys in an effort to find his best man. In the perfect example of opposites attract Peter finally meets Sydney who is a dude’s dude to his very core. However, what Peter doesn’t count on is the fact that by finding a best man he’s added a third person into the relationship he has with his fiancée.

I can’t believe I Love You, Man was as unique and original as it is; I can’t believe it hasn’t been made before. I Love You, Man is the flip side of Swingers - it’s the men a little further along in their lives as they become friends, rather than watching the hijinks of the men who already are each others lives.

What is really unique and fun about I Love You, Man is the sheer representations of “man” that are in the movie; each is unique, complete and you clearly know each of the types. Peter is the man who hasn’t accepted his manhood, Sydney is the man that is too much of a man for his own good, Barry is the man’s man who wants poker nights and a sexy wife, Robbie is the straightest gay man you know, Tevin is the cheesy, too-primped man slut who wants to prove his superiority, and Lou Ferrigno is the Hulk – the types go on. Each of these characters represent a personality and a relationship not just a joke and a punch line which is what makes this comedy original and funny.

The jokes in this movie are just as fun as the trailer promises. Jon Favreau’s Barry is the funniest prick in film and one of the funniest yet most disgusting scenes deals with a drinking game between he and Peter. I also love the jokes that you get in the film because Robbie is gay. I feel like I can’t talk about the best parts of the movie because this is a new release and I don’t want to spoil the comedy for those that are going to see it.

To sum up I Love You, Man I’d have to say that it’s a “chick flick” for men. The standard formula of boy-meets-girl applies, but it’s guy-meets-guy – in a not gay way.

Director: John Hamburg
Writers: John Hamburg & Larry Levin
Peter Klaven: Paul Rudd
Zooey: Rashida Jones
Hailey: Sarah Burns
Denise: Jamie Pressly
Barry: Jon Favreau
Joyce Klaven: Jane Curtin
Oswald Klaven: J.K. Simmons
Robbie Klaven: Andy Samberg