When a dude needs a bro'

The dude has no dude friends.

When it comes time for his wedding, he has a bride but no best man. He's a terrible poker player. He doesn't belch or scratch himself enough to really be "one of the guys," but he's always had plenty of girlfriends.

There must be a comedy here.

Thanks to a hilarious and often risky performance from Paul Rudd, there is. "I Love You, Man" soars mainly on the strength of Rudd's performance as the likable, vulnerable Peter Klaven, a straight-arrow real estate agent who serves gourmet sandwiches at his open-house sales pitches.

Searching for a best man, he goes through a series of "man dates" that are increasingly uncomfortable, for men in the audience as well as for Peter. (They are mere filler until we get to the real movie.) Finally, he connects with a slacker slob, played by Jason Segel as surprisingly likable.

The guys find they are both fans of the rock band Rush. They find they can jam together (one on bass, the other on drums). They go to a Rush reunion.

This, incidentally, is a big movie week for Rush fans. There are not one, but two new films out that celebrate the past rush to Rush. The other is the hilarious "Star Wars" comedy "Fan Boys."

Peter's idea of a great evening is snuggling with his girlfriend and looking at Johnny Depp in "Chocolat." Segel's character, on the other side, has a pug dog and a ramshackle apartment on Venice Beach. He doesn't clean up after his dog, claiming that "it's good for the environment."

The tension in the film arises when it appears the new "bromance" might unhinge Klaven's ties to his fiancee.

John Hamburg, who directed, fares a good deal better here than he did with the unfortunate "Along Came Polly" comedy in 2004. He has fared best as a writer, creating the scripts for "Meet the Parents" (2000) and the memorable "Zoolander" (2001).

Jane Curtin has a walk-on, as a parent - still suggesting the tough, sarcastic presence that was hers years ago on "Saturday Night Live." Jon Favreau takes a recess from his usual nerd-underdog roles to play an arrogant jerk of a husband who is always publicly scheduling sex with his gorgeous wife.

It's disappointing that "Man" stoops occasionally to vomit jokes and repeated references to bodily functions. That's the insurance to be paid for the refreshingly honest and sympathetic look at male friendship that is at the core.

The details help. Rudd's character likes "The Devil Wears Prada" and isn't afraid to admit it. More insecure men in the audience make quite a public display of hissing and booing a particular kissing scene (which, admittedly, might better have been cut).

This take on male relationships is good-natured in a beer-guzzling sort of way that should be thoroughly acceptable.

This film may be Rudd's breakthrough. He's maybe the most likable young actor since the heyday of Tom Hanks.

His evolution into a clown has been unexpected. I first saw him on Broadway in a production of "Romeo and Juliet." He did other stage heavyweights like "Long Day's Journey Into Night" and was expected to go to Hollywood and become yet another handsome leading man.

Instead, he has regularly stolen comedies with hilarious bits in things like "Knocked Up," "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" and "Anchorman," all of which starred comedians who were not as funny as he.

His double takes as a square guy just beginning to loosen up in "I Love You, Man" put him on the A-list.

Mal Vincent, (757) 446-2347, mal.vincent@pilotonline.com