Definitely, Maybe

By Matthew Rodgers

Adam Brooks’ perfectly timed rom-com comes with the poster campaign pedigree of “From the makers of Love Actually and Bridget Jones’s Diary” and although this hints at Curtis themed clichés on the trials of love it also guarantees that Definitely, Maybe has a quality centre to its big soppy saccharine coated story that will win over even the most hardened of hearts.

Ryan Reynolds (Smokin’ Aces, Blade Trinity) is advertising executive Will Hayes, a 30-something single father to Maya (Abigail Breslin – Little Miss Sunshine) and generally all round nice-guy, currently in the middle of a divorce that prompts his inquisitive sprog to question his life before her birth, and in particular how her soon-to-be-ex folks met and fell in love. Charting his life as Clinton campaigner in 92 through to the present day, via high school sweetheart Emily (Elizabeth Banks – Scrubs), sassy political pal April (Isla Fisher – Wedding Crashers), and free-spirited journalist Summer (Rachel Weisz – The Constant Gardener), Definitely, Maybe is like a romantic who-done-it that’s like a warm tonic for these late winter nights.

The appeal of watching this slightly overlong tale of whimsy – there are more endings than The Return of the King – is in the performances of the ensemble cast. Ryan Reynolds is likeable even in vile outings such as Van Wilder and Just Friends, and his Will is extremely easy to root for here, all charm and sly one liners that anchor the films momentum. His scenes with Breslin, who herself is wasted with the directional instruction to “just act cute”, should be insipid but are naturally executed by the two.

The trio of would-be moms are a mixed bag; Weisz adds to her Fred Claus mis-step as the least likeable suspect, seemingly too old, or an actress of too much gravitas to convince as the hippie-like harlot. Banks is girl-next-door cute but used sparingly. It’s Isla Fisher as Will’s long-distance best-friend that is given the meatiest of the three roles and succeeds in delivering her first notable big-screen turn.

There are no real set-pieces to speak of, the film just ambles along as a thoroughly enjoyable About A Boy clone (Badly Drawn Boy once again provides the music) until it reaches its satisfying and smile inducing, if not wholly unsurprising conclusion. There’s no maybe about this one, its definitely worth watching.