In the new romantic comedy “Definitely, Maybe”, advertising exec Will Hayes, in the midst of a messy divorce, is taken aback when his 10yr old daughter questions him about his romantic past.
He reluctantly agrees under the condition that names and places are changed to protect her mother. As Will proceeds to tell Maya the story he unwittingly starts unravel what went wrong with the three greatest loves of his life.
“Definitely, Maybe” is written and directed by Adam Brooks, best known for his writing collaborations on comedies such as “Wimbledon” and “Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason”.
Brooks decided some years back that he wished to pen a love story that spanned more than a decade. Like the romantic comedies of yesteryear, he wanted the audience to have a more satisfying investment in the characters and their lives.
Cleverly set against the Clinton-era backdrop of the 90's, Definitely, Maybe is a well-scripted, likable comedy. What separates it from your average romantic comedy is the mystery element. Like young Maya, I found myself trying desperately to put two and two together to try and work out who was her mother.
With the budget and backing from the successful “Working Title” team, Brooks' direction is confident and clear. Apart from a somewhat clunky beginning, the film soon settled in with a good pace and some nice laughs.
The characters are well developed. I think Brooks has a point in his desire to span the story over a decade; it felt satisfying and added depth. My only problem was the constant to-ing and fro-ing between present day and the past. It would have been beneficial to have stayed more in the past as this was the far more engaging story.
Child star of the moment Abigail Breslin is terrific as Maya. She is cute without being too precocious and made the awkward set up of the story believable
Racheal Weisz, Elizabeth Banks and Isla Fischer worked well as Will's girlfriends, with Fischer being the hands down standout. The screen and story crackled when she was on.
Ryan Reynolds faired well as Will… I am not overly sold on him as a leading man. Although he was at his best opposite Fischer
Definitely, Maybe's strength is the balance it achieves with the love stories. I was convinced and involved with all three, which is often hard to do.
Definitely Maybe is enjoyable with some wonderful performances
3.5 stars.
