REEL CRITIC:

According to the new film “I Love You, Man,” even the most devoted fiancée can be suspect if he has no close male friends. Such is the case for Peter Klaven (Paul Rudd) and his bride-to-be Zooey (Rashida Jones).

Peter is a struggling real estate agent whose big financial plans hinge on closing a sale on a massive estate owned by “Incredible Hulk” star Lou Ferrigno. He is seemingly the perfect fiancée as he is very much in love with Zooey, respectful and doting. However, when Peter has no male friend close enough to serve as his best man, Zooey’s bevy of girlfriends, including the man-hungry Hailey (Sarah Burns) and the sexy but unhappily married Denise (Jaime Pressly) see it as a warning sign. According to her friends, Peter will become obsessive and clingy over time if Zooey is the focus of his life.

Everyone thinks Peter is a nice guy, especially his mother (Jane Curtin). His father (J.K. Simmons) thinks his predicament is a bit strange and claims to have two close male friends including Peter’s brother Robbie (Andy Samberg), a gay personal trainer. Robbie offers to coach Peter in his quest for a “man-date” and even fixes him up with a client from the gym.

All of Peter’s attempts have disastrous and hilarious results. He is about to give up when he strikes up a conversation with Sydney (Jason Segel) at an open house at the Ferrigno estate. Sydney levels with Peter telling him he has no interest in the house and merely attends high-end open houses for the free food and the opportunity to meet rich divorcees. The two men exchange business cards and promise to keep in touch.

Eventually, Peter works up the courage to contact Sydney and they get together at a Mexican restaurant. Sydney is comfortable in his own skin and his unwavering frankness causes Peter to take an unflinching look at his life. Peter is a people-pleaser of the first order and has subjugated his own wants and desires to accommodate everyone else. Sydney brings Peter out of his shell, which creates ramifications for the other people in his life, especially Zooey.

While the film’s plot serves mostly as a device to create comic circumstances and does so with regularity, the true central theme in “I Love You, Man” is the “bromance” between Peter and Sydney. Rudd plays Peter as comically awkward around men but his warmth and humanity shines through. The character of Sydney could easily be an unlikable buffoon. However, Sydney is a likable free-spirited man-child who has some long-delayed growing up to do.

“I Love You, Man” is bolstered by other strong performances. Jones plays Zooey as a supportive mate who truly cares for her fiancée’s happiness even when Sydney makes her uncomfortable. Pressly is Zooey’s good friend and hilariously copes with her insensitive husband, Barry, memorably played by Jon Favreau, better known lately as the director of “Iron Man.”

“I Love You, Man” is not for everyone. It is rated “R” for pervasive language, including crude and sexual references. For those not offended by such material, “I Love You, Man” is ultimately a tender buddy movie about two men that are meant to be true friends.

VAN NOVACK is the assistant vice president of institutional research and assessment at Cal State Long Beach and lives in Huntington Beach with his wife, Elizabeth.