You poor, poor men. Your buddies want you to be dudely, yet your better halves prefer that you be somewhat sensitive while still remaining a bit Neanderthal-esque, in a "Let's talk about our feelings as I gut this wild boar for you" kind of way. Celluloid examples of masculinity are usually limited to macho bone-breakers or the hopelessly pussywhipped, but Hollywood has lately addressed this dichotomy in an entertaining manner. And though history will likely remember it as the Apatovian Age, Judd Apatow's actual fingerprints are not on "I Love You, Man," a subversively silly comedy about one guy's quest for lasting bromance.

After witnessing the tight, filthy bond between Zooey (Rashida Jones, "The Office") and her future bridesmaids, it dawns on the charmingly gynocentric Peter (Paul Rudd, "Role Models") that he has no (best) man to call his own. Loved ones try to aid in the platonic matchmaking, so following a series of disastrous "man-dates" - one culminating in perhaps the finest projectile-vomiting scene ever - Peter and Sydney (Jason Segel, "Forgetting Sarah Marshall") meet-cute at Lou Ferrigno's open house, with Sydney quickly establishing himself as the hedonistic id to Peter's meek superego. "I Love You, Man" basically chronicles the blossoming friendship between Peter and Sydney, something initially encouraged by Zooey, who now frets about the wider repercussions of Peter having grown a pair under the tutelage of someone with a hideout that contains instruments on which to badly cover Rush tunes as well as a fully equipped "jerk-off station."

Director and co-writer John Hamburg (he also penned "Zoolander") gets ace supporting turns from J.K. Simmons ("Juno") as Peter's uncomplicated dad and "Iron Man" director Jon Favreau as a local lunkhead, and though his female characters are drawn rather flimsily, still-underrated Emmy winner Jaime Pressly ("My Name Is Earl") makes the most of her limited screen time as Favreau's hot, bitchy wife. Somehow managing to be adorably predictable without being formulaic,"I Love You, Man" benefits greatly from tweaking the stereotypes, whether it's with a love interest who really is understanding or a seemingly fun, guru-like pal that keeps the audience guessing about the presence of a darker agenda.

Though less overtly needy than Rudd's Peter, Segel plays Sydney as a subtly vulnerable man-child who hides his fear over not having all the answers under a veil of immature eccentricities. And just when it seems that as the main character Rudd might be stuck in straight-man mode, he proceeds to steal his own movie with goofy physical slapstick, priceless reaction shots, and crack comedic timing so effortless that it must have been improvised. (Rudd enjoys far more chemistry with Segel than he does Jones.) "I Love You, Man" is easily Rudd's best performance, the highlight being Peter's hilariously awkward attempts at hip familiarity with his new BFF that take the form of complete nonsense. Totes magotes!