I Love You, Man (2009)

I'm just going to come out with it and tell you that I love Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. I might love Rudd just a little bit more (can you believe he's 40?) (also, sorry, Segel). While I'm glad that their latest outing didn't go to a weird woman hating place like their last one, I do wish Rashida Jones and Jamie Pressley had a little more to do. Even so, there's something here that anyone over the age of 22 can identify with: how do you make friends post-college?

For all the brouhaha over the man dates and the best man crunch, all director and co-writer John Hamburg is addressing is the difficulty of making friends without school to bind you. For some reason there's this whole extra level of awkward to go along with it after graduation, and Hamburg taps into that via Rudd so virulently that even as you laugh, you cringe (the nexus of the best comedy). Rudd's always been one to go the extra mile for a joke (that's what makes his outburst in Wet Hot American Summer so damn funny), and the way he hits everything not one beat off but two sells how uncomfortable it would be to try to find not only a new friend but also a best friend.

Segel plays off Rudd wonderfully, all loose energy and phony masculinity. I wish he'd do something about that hair but otherwise love him, too.

Of course, there is a little something off here: Zooey and Peter have been dating for years. She would have noticed by now that he doesn't have any male friends and that his best friend is his mom (although who can blame him since his mom is Jane Curtin). She would have noticed, she would have been concerned, and she would have said something. When people don't have any friends, no matter how great they are, it says something. Something like "crazypants." Although Andy Samberg and J.K. Simmons are so adorable as Peter's gay brother and his dad who became the brother's best friend by learning to be okay with his gay son ("I love my dead gay son!"), that it's almost worth it.

Now if they could have only worked in more scenes with Jon Favreau playing against type as a man's man who argues his wife into sexual favours. Those two should have a sitcom. B+