Definitely, Maybe

Definitely, Maybe

8.5 out of 10

Posted: 06/30/08

Running time: 1:50

MPAA rating: PG-13 (Sexual content, including some frank dialogue, language and smoking.)

Peruvian rating: Mayores de 14

Cast: Ryan Reynolds, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher, Abigail Breslin, Derek Luke, Kevin Kline.
Director: Adam Brooks
Script: Adam Brooks
Photography: Florian Ballhaus

Score: Clint Mansell
Distributor: Universal Pictures

Definitely, Maybe belongs to a rare breed of film: a romantic comedy that actually works. That might sound a little discriminating but, similarly to the case of the horror genre, good movies of this kind are released very rarely. For every Definitely Maybe or When Harry Met Sally…, there is a 27 Dresses or a Made of Honor. Many viewers – especially men – think romantic comedies are all girlish and stupid and full of artificial fluffy feelings. Well, that’s the bad romantic comedy, for your information. A good romantic comedy feels honest, is actually funny, and provides with characters worth caring for. Definitely, Maybe, while not precisely original and containing not as much as humour as one would initially think, is an example of the latter. It’s unpredictable, it’s romantic, and it’s funny.

The film tells the story of Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds), who is about to get divorced. He picks up her daughter, Maya (Abigail Breslin), from school, and they return to his home where she will spend the night. Maya wants something, though. She wants Will to tell her the story of his romance with her mother, hoping that maybe that will make him change his mind about the divorce. He agrees, but says he'll take some liberties, like changing names. There are other women in the story and Maya has to guess which one is her mother. There are three candidates: Emily (Elizabeth Banks), Will's college sweetheart. He leaves her in 1992 so he can go to New York and work for Bill Clinton. There, he meets Summer (Rachel Weisz), Emily's friend and ex-lover, who is a little, well, wild, and is constantly flirting with his thesis advisor, Hampton Roth (Kevin Kline). Finally, there’s April (Isla Fisher), whom he has met at work.

Definitely, Maybe works because, unlike most romantic comedies, it’s unpredictable. Being a “romantic mystery”, the audience never knows until the very end who actually is Maya’s mother. There are a lot of red herrings, and the cool thing is that, even if you guess the identity of Maya’s mother, you might not discover the complete story. This movie might be very things, but predictable it ain’t; actually, it keeps the audience guessing all the time. Additionally, the film’s ending, while suitably happy, is not the typical Hollywood ending. I was surprised by it, actually, because although the mystery was compellingly solved, Will didn’t end with the girl I thought he was going to end. The mystery itself is not that complicated, but it definitely is entertaining to keep guessing who Maya’s mother might be, especially considering all three candidates seem to have the same possibilities, at least in the beginning.

Performances also help the movie. Ryan Reynolds, while effective, is not great. He’s really good during the “lighter” scenes, and he has enough chemistry with Abigail Breslin to make their father-daughter relationship credible, but he stumbles a little during the more dramatic scenes. Will’s three girlfriends – Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks and Rachel Weisz – are all good, giving better and more believable performances than Reynolds. Fisher is immensely likeable, Banks is cute, and Weisz continues to show that she can be excellent in any type of role. Abigail Breslin is also really effective – unlike many child actors, she’s not overly cute -, and Kevin Kline’s supporting character is a scene-stealer. He’s definitely the most consistently funny character, and the man manages to give some class to the proceedings. Derek Luke, though, who has been really good in previous efforts, doesn’t have enough screentime to make his character memorable; he’s basically a ghost.

Now that I think about it, Definitely, Maybe is more of a dramedy than a romantic comedy. Granted, there are a couple of laughs to be had, but the film focuses more on the romantic mystery and dramatic aspects of the story. This isn’t a laugh-out-loud riot; this is the kind of movie that affects the audience in a more emotional way. It might not make every viewer burst into tears, but there’s no use in denying that Adam Brooks and his team have managed to tell a pretty emotionally effective story. The fact that the movie starts with a divorce might give you an idea of how it ends – like I said before, it’s not the typical Hollywood ending -, and how it might touch you.

I really liked Definitely, Maybe. Ryan Reynolds is not the best actor ever, and even though he’s kinda weak during the more dramatic scenes, he’s not bad. Supporting performers are really good though, and the movie as a whole is really good as a romantic drama with a little comedy here and there. Additionally, Clint Mansell’s (Requiem for a Dream) score is great, beautifully enhancing the dramatic and romantic scenes. “Chick flicks” are not always only for “chicks”; movies like Definitely, Maybe prove that all kinds of audiences can enjoy romantic flicks, and that they can be really touching even for the toughest kind off guy. Yup, this movie is really recommendable, although I’m sure you’ll enjoy it even more if you go to see it with your date/girlfriend/wife. (I did.)