DreamWorks | 2009 | 105 mins | Rated R
Once in awhile, along comes a genuinely stupid movie that’s just too funny to hate. You know the kind; dumb premise, little plot but along the way they provide so many laughs, you can’t help but enjoy them. Further, to your astonishment, what you thought seemed like a terrible film at first, turns out to be one of the best comedies you’ve seen in a long time. Confusing I know, but that was my experience with I Love You, Man. For some reason, the trailers I’d seen in the theaters didn’t appeal to me, so I never went to see it. As a result, I popped the blu-ray into my player not expecting much but hoping for something bearable. What I got was an original story and lots of laughs.
After years of being the ultimate boyfriend, Real estate agent Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) has finally decided to tie the knot with his girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones). Engaged and preparing for the day, everything’s going well until they both realize Peter doesn’t really have any guy friends. Every guy needs someone to talk about impending marriage stuff with and most important, he needs a best man. With help from his brother Robbie (Andy Samberg), Peter goes out on a series of “dates” in an effort to find himself a BFF, a guy who can anchor what he hopes will become a stable of male friends. Leaving no stone unturned, he tries various methods to meet possible BFF’s; including blind dates and online dating, but each candidate doesn’t quite pass muster.
Peter’s search for a “bromance,” is a premise that is inherently funny. Director John Hamburg (who also wrote the screenplay with Larry Levin), let’s the obvious things in this somewhat awkward situation provide the humor, rather than forcing it. It’s the little things that make I Love You, Man work so well–the pressure of striking up a conversation, the blind dates gone wrong, and that nervous first phone call–all magnified a hundred fold because of the “bromance” twist. The film delivers a hilarious montage of sorts where Peter goes out on several “blind dates,” finding himself with a man his own age that takes their “dinner date” the wrong way; taking in a soccer game with an L.A. Galaxy fan that lives and breathes the sport; and an elderly gentlemen who fooled Peter into thinking they were the same age by posting a decades-old photo of himself on the Internet. All the while, Peter is trying to work up the courage to start his first “real” friendship with a guy.
While showing Lou Ferrigno’s (as himself) house, Peter meets Sydney Fife (Jason Segel). Though the two couldn’t be more different–Peter is shy and reserved, Sydney is loud bordering on obnoxious, while Peter lacks self confidence, Sydney has it oozing out of every pore–the two get along great. So well in fact, Peter’s new friendship with Syndey threatens his impending marriage.
Paul Rudd and Jason Segel work very well together. They have a good chemistry and a sense of comic timing that allows them to get the most out of every scene without feeling forced. Also featuring solid performances from J.K. Simmons (possibly one of the most underrated actors working today) and Andy Samberg, I Love You, Man is a solid comedy with an interesting twist.
I Love You, Man arrives on Blu-ray with a solid 1080p, 1.78:1-framed transfer. The color palette features an array of hues, each looking rather good. Fine detail is above-average; the many office supplies and furnishings found in Paul’s workplace, or the many knickknacks scattered about Sydney’s man cave, appear with a suitably high level of clarity and texture that tend to bring nearly every scene to life. Clothing always appears well-rendered in most every scene. The image remains consistently sharp with no one scene appearing abundantly soft, and a fair sense of depth is present throughout. Grain isn’t at all intrusive, and the image as a whole takes on a rather nice film-like appearance. While not one of the best transfers on the market, Paramount has done a good job here.
Audio is provided by a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 lossless soundtrack. This provides a predominantly front-heavy sound field that sets the stage in every scene but never really comes to life anymore than is required of it. The track’s pair of primary sounds–dialogue and music–are both delivered with a clear and lifelike presentation. What little ambiance there is, plays across the front with very little back channel support. This soundtrack delivers the basics and nothing more.
I Love You, Man offers up a rather typical slate of special of special features:
• Audio Commentary with Director John Hamburg and Actors Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. The group talks about various aspects of making the film; locations, working with friends, test audience reactions, etc. While the participants are very likable, there’s nothing earth shattering here.
• The Making of I Love You, Man (1080p, 17:29) is a typical EPK, that briefly examines the script, the assemblage of the cast, the film’s story and themes, the creation behind one of the film’s special effects, sets, the work of bodybuilder Lou Ferrigno in the film, etc.
• Extras (22:25) is a collection of cut-from-the-film moments of improv dialogue for nine different scenes.
• Extended Scenes (1080p, 12:39) there are six in all.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 3:18) there are three in all.
• Gag Reel (11:25) Typical hijinks.
• Theatrical Trailer (1080p, 2:49) this is this films red band trailer.
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