BLOG REVIEW: I LOVE YOU, MAN

Directed by: John Hamburg
Written by: John Hamburg, Larry Levin
Produced by: John Hamburg, Donald De Line
Staring: Paul Rudd, Rashida Jones, Jason Segel

---Romantic comedies have become a film-viewer favorite in the world of cinema. This genre of film provides a light story line with a lot of laughs and memorable moments, making them ideal films for entertainment. What is also special about them is they tend to focus on relatable themes that general people can relate to, making the film that much more enjoyable to viewers. The newest romantic comedy out is John Hamburg’s I Love You, Man. This film has all the usual ingredients of a good romantic comedy with a slight twist. Instead of being about a person’s journey in a romantic relationship, it focuses on one man’s journey through male friendship.
---Not since Jerry Seinfeld’s humorous relationship with former New York Mets outfielder Keith Hernadez in the Seinfeld episode “The Boyfriend”, has a film so perfectly captured the bizarre world of male friendship. The movie centers around the main character Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) who gets engaged to his long time girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones). Unlike the traditional romantic comedy, Peters problem is not getting the girl, it’s his lack of a true male best friend. Worried about not having a best man for his wedding, Peter begins a search for a best friend. After a few awkwardly hilarious attempts, Peter meets Sydney Fife (Jason Segel), who seems to be a worthy candidate. The remainder of the movie follows the relationship of Peter and Sydney and takes a look at the rarely talked about world of male bonding. It also focuses on Peter’s struggle of balancing the male friendship he never had, and the relationship with Zooey that he’s always wanted.
---It seems too often romantic comedies are written mostly with a female audience in mind. It is not often you see a film like this where they explore themes that mostly a male audience can understand. I Love You, Man does a solid job of focusing on true aspects of male bonding, stemming from poker night to rocking out to Rush. Giving the audience this rare perspective of a male’s makes I Love You, Man a unique experience for all audiences.
---The key to any romantic comedy is that it is just that, a comedy. Audiences expect to laugh when they go see these films, and I Love You, Man delivers strongly on this front. There really is not a dull point in the movie; it is filled with clever humor, both verbal and physical, that keep the laughs coming the whole way. The cast does a great job of bringing the story to life, and everyone works well together through out the film.
---If you are looking for a fun night out and want to see a movie that will leave you leaving the theater with a smile on your face, I Love You, Man is a movie worth seeing. If you are afraid this is just another redundant romantic comedy, you have nothing to worry about. This film will give you laughs while portraying an original storyline, so you will be entertained on all fronts.