New odd couple strums the right notes

From Laurel and Hardy to Butch and Sundance, Hollywood often has relied on the interplay of two buddies who play together with the precision of a jazz duo. Those classic teams find a neat contemporary counterpart in I Love You, Man, courtesy of Paul Rudd and Jason Segel. The slight Rudd and the gangly Segel strike the right physical contrast for comedy. And they're playing an odd couple reminiscent of Neil Simon's classic pairing of a fussbudget and a slob. In this case, the persnickety partner is Rudd's Peter Klaven – a real estate agent who dresses fastidiously and always has been more comfortable with women than other men. Peter is a straight guy who has no interest in sports, poker or drinking; his favourite movies are Chocolat and The Devil Wears Prada. When his fiancée seems alarmed by the fact that he has no close male friends who might serve as best man at their wedding, Peter embarks on a mission to find a pal. After striking out on a few "man dates," he happens to meet Sydney (Segel) at an open house. They feel an instantaneous rapport, and soon Peter and Sydney are hanging out at the beach, at rock concerts and at Sydney's grungy "man cave". The movie has the crude moments – including fart and vomit jokes – that the genre requires, but it also has wit and perception. It's a rare comedy that grows funnier on reflection and benefits from the talented duo. Rudd started out in the theatre and in small, arty films like The Object of My Affection and The Chateau. In recent years he's graduated to more populist, lowbrow fare, turning up in Knocked Up and last year's Role Models . Even when the vehicles have been shoddy, Rudd has retained the acting chops and the effortless charm that he demonstrated in his early cult pictures. He's not afraid to highlight Peter's dorky, overearnest side, and he scores laughs without ever trolling for them. Segel plays the familiar vulgar bud, but steers clear of stereotype. Sydney is as much of a loser as Peter, and Segel reveals the character's juvenility with his directness. Director John Hamburg has assembled a fine supporting cast. Andy Samberg is great as Peter's gay brother, who is more masculine than Peter. Jon Favreau is uproariously obnoxious as the macho monster. And Lou "Hulk" Ferrigno plays himself in a hilarious cameo. The women – including Rashida Jones as Peter's fiancee and Jane Curtin as his mom – also perform skillfully, but they point up the movie's major flaw. Hamburg and co-writer Larry Levin fail to bring the same texture to the female characters that they supply to the guys. Keep up with the latest business news from the region with the daily Emirates Business 24|7 newsletter. To subscribe to the newsletter, please click here .