By Matthew Jackson
Sometimes you go into a movie with this great white hot feeling of anticipation. You know it’s going to be good. You can feel it in your bones. You munch your popcorn faster as the trailers roll, waiting for that magic moment when the company logo will appear and the flick will begin.
Sadly, many times that feeling drops like a rock after about 20 minutes. It turns out all the great moments you saw in the early previews were in fact the only great moments the movie had to offer. You feel like you’ve seen it already. It’s predictable and stale, like the Corn Flakes you started eating when you were five and swore off by the time you were seven. The flick is bad, and you feel ridiculous for ever having had such hopes.
Then there are those rare times when your faith is rewarding by a monstrously pleasing film, one that doesn’t force you to think about why or how it turned out so well. It simply asks that you sit back, relax, and let the entertainment wash over you.
I love Paul Rudd, and I love Jason Segel, so when I heard that the two would be co-stars in a flick about the strange bond that often forms between two men, I got that white hot feeling. I wanted it to be great, and I walked into the theater terrified that it wouldn’t be, that it would go the way of flicks like “Twilight” and “The Rocker,” lots of buzz but no real bite.
Turns out I had nothing to be afraid of.
Rudd helms the flick as Peter Klaven, a low-key Los Angeles real estate agent who seems to have a pretty awesome life. He just got engaged to girlfriend Zooey (Rashida Jones) and he just got commissioned to sell the palatial Hollywood Hills estate of Lou Ferrigno. It’s not until he overhears his fiancé and her girlfriends discussing his lack of male companionship that Peter begins to feel a little empty.
After discussing his predicament with his gay brother Robbie (a hilarious Andy Samberg) and parents Joyce and Oswald (the legendary Jane Curtin and the super-awesome J. K. Simmons), Peter decides to actively seek out bros, but it’s not until he coincidentally meets “investor” Sydney Fife (Segel) at Ferrigno’s open house that he actually finds the pal he’s been looking for.
After an awkward night of drinking and fish tacos, the two find they have more in common than they thought, most prominently a mutual love of Rush.
As Peter struggles with selling the house and planning the wedding, Sydney begins dispensing his peculiar brand of advice on how to be a man, starting with refusing to pick up after his dog on the streets of L.A. As the film progresses, the pair form an unlikely and complex bond that only be described as “man-love.”
Before going into any other aspect of this film, the greatest test of any comedy is whether or not it’s funny. And it is. Very, very funny, but only if you’re prepared for it. This is what those in the biz like to refer to as a “hard R” comedy, meaning lots of profanity, sexual content and other mature themes. This is not a comedy for your kids, nor is it a comedy for your grandparents, but if you dig funny stuff regardless of why it’s funny, get ready to spew soda all over the person in front of you.
One of the biggest reasons why is Rudd, not just because he’s an obviously funny guy (how many times can I laugh at the phrase “slappin’ the bass”?), but because he can really act. The character he plays here is far different from the work he did in flicks like “Anchorman” and “Knocked Up.” Here, playing a sensitive man who has trouble opening up to other dudes, he manages to show not only comic brilliance, but true range.
Segel is not quite as versatile as Sydney, but that doesn’t make him any less funny. With his odd clothes, quirky sense of humor and his dog Anwar Sadat (because they look alike), he is the perfect foil to Rudd’s straight man trying to be a loose man performance. Simmons, Curtin, and Samberg turn in solid, laugh-filled performances, but the real source of comedy gold from the supporting cast is the pair of Jaime Pressly (“My Name Is Earl”) and Jon Favreau (director of “Iron Man”) as an always bickering (and making up) married couple.
Oh, and did I mention Rush makes a surprise appearance? Yeah, they’re here. The Holy Triumvirate: Geddy, Alex and Neil.
This is usually the part where I put the big “but” in, as in “Yeah, it’s good, but …” To be honest, though, if there was a problem with this flick, I missed it. I was laughing too hard to notice.
Matt’s Call: Easily the funniest movie of the year so far, right up there with guy-movie faves like “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” and “Superbad.” Smart, hilarious, and thought provoking without being forceful. If you’re between the ages of 18 and 35 and you’re a man, see it. Oh, and bring your bros.
