Stars: Ryan Reynolds, Abigail Breslin, Rachel Weitz, Isla Fisher
Directed by: Adam Brooks
Reviewed by: Adam Mast, Zboneman.com
Grade: B
Definitely, Maybe might just be the surprise romantic comedy of the
year. Of course given that it's competition is dreck like Fool's Gold,
that's really not saying all that much.
In Definitely, Maybe, Ryan Reynolds plays Will Hayes, an unlucky in love man who comes up with an innovative way to explain to his precocious and highly inquisitive daughter Maya – played by the wonderfully appealing Abigail Breslin – how he met her mother and why they're no longer together. As he tells her his bittersweet tale of loves lost, we the audience see the story unfold in an elaborate flashback.
Definitely, Maybe is a sneaky little picture. As it begins, it feels as if it's going to take the obvious route, but then a strange thing happens. It really works its magic. Sure, it slips into the obvious conventional traps that come with the genre, but then it's these very traps that make the romantic comedy so appealing.
The truth is, Definitely, Maybe has a surprising amount of depth, and by the end of the picture, I really found myself caring about these characters.
Through Will's tale, we meet three very different women and it would have been very easy for writer/director Adam Brooks to simply make these female characters objects of Will's notorious libido. That doesn't happen though. Each of these women–played, respectively, by Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, and Isla Fisher – have a soul and a distinct identity, and it's wonderfully evident why Will might fall in love with any or all of them. Of course, Mr. Hayes is really only truly in love with one of them –something we the audience figure out as the picture unfolds. As for who little Maya's mother is? That is something of a surprise, and it's one of the many joys Definitely, Maybe has to offer.
Equal attention is paid to Will's character detail. He isn't a callous womanizer out to conquer every woman he comes into contact with. On the contrary, he is quite caring and even somewhat vulnerable. While he certainly has moments of stupidity – who doesn't –there's something very real at the center of this man and much of that humanity has to do with a surprisingly strong performance by Reynolds. Known for his cocky, irritating roles – see Van Wilder or Waiting – Reynolds dials it back quite a bit here, and the end result is a perfectly endearing, well-drawn character.
The supporting players are equally strong. Derek Luke is extremely likable as Will's good friend and co-worker while Kevin Kline hits all the right comedic notes as a smarmy but charming college professor.
Definitely, Maybe isn't a masterpiece. The ending is a bit rushed, and I'm still bummed they didn't throw an Oasis tune on the soundtrack – after all, the film is called Definitely, Maybe – but in the end, I was sort of smitten with this movie. These characters really worked their magic on me.