Peter (Paul Rudd) is a semi-successful realtor, he’s possibly going to make it to the big time if he sells Lou Ferrigno’s place, who’s getting married to Zooey (Rashida Jones). There’s just one problem, he doesn’t really have any guy friends to make up a wedding party. Or to just hang with. So his family and her friends start setting him up on some man dates to try and make some. It doesn’t really work out, until he runs in to Sydney (Jason Segel) at one of his open houses and the two hit it off.
And, as I’ve probably said about 30 times already, hilarity does ensue. It really does. I lolled all over the place. Not that it’s a perfect movie or anything.
Lets get the bad out of the way first. The first half hour doesn’t work all that well. Paul Rudd does very well at being a cynical wise ass, Peter isn’t that at all. So it’s a little bit of miscasting that only hurts in the first section as he’s not entirely believable. Not that he’s doing a bad job, cause god forbid a motherfucker stretches once in a while. That’s a Kevin Smith quote which always comes to mind if someone complains about casting slightly out of type. And Rudd does fine, I just think the script and character might be a little weak here.
The plot is also a little weak at the two thirds mark. Character actions, this follows the rom com formula so you know what happens at this kind of point, aren’t all that realistic and they kind of OVER react to things without much reality. And the film seems to forget its own passage of time. For the whole movie they seem to have been together for 8 months, but the course of the film has to be at least 2 months. You don’t feel like no time has passed, but it’s a script mistake that smacked me in the face a few times.
But that’s more or less all the bad. Paul Rudd and Rashida Jones have very good chemistry in this. They’re an extremely believable couple, and apart from a few weak scenes he fits the bill for his character. It’s something I can identify with as I’m a bit short on the male friends myself. I say a bit short, I mean I don’t have any close ones really. The guy I refer to as my best friend is someone I haven’t seen in about a year and a half and haven’t had any contact with in about 4 months. But life happens, we’re still friends. Whether I’d be his best man or not I have no idea, but I doubt it. So that’s my closest guy mate. I get where this character is, and I found the portrayal at times very spot on.
The reason this really works is obviously the OTHER relationship. Jason Segel’s Sydney is a likeable as hell guy. He’s kind of the opposite of his How I Met Your Mother character in some ways, similar in others. But just an all round nice guy you’d like to hang out with. And his chemistry with Rudd is perfect. They’re realistic guy mates. At least the kind of guys who’s life doesn’t revolve around football (soccer for the international folks) and Jordan’s tits.
The cast is rounded out with Jaime Pressly (Joy from My Name Is Earl) at her least trailer trashy, Jon Faverau as her dick head husband (strange pick that), JK Simmons and Jane Curtin as Peter’s parents and of course Lou Ferrigno being himself. Plus a bunch of others I hadn’t really seen before, or pop up now and again. Not quite all star, but indie feeling in the good way.
Obviously I can’t say how women will like this, but dudes who aren’t the aforementioned type and are in their late 20’s should love it. Or older, cause we never grow up. I dunno if kids will dig Rush…
Next up: Yes Man. I seem to have a “comedies with Man in the title” theme going on…
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