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"Definitely, Maybe" is a rare "chick flick" that flirts with the romantic comedy genre. Not only is the mystery love story told from the guy's point of view, the narrative also comes with a political twist.
Ryan Reynolds ("Waiting," "Smokin' Aces") stars as Will Hayes, an unhappy 30-something Manhattan dad in the midst of a divorce. But answering an intriguing question by his precocious 10-year old daughter, Maya ("Little Miss Sunshine's" Abigail Breslin), may soon change his life for the better.
You see, Maya wants to know absolutely everything about how her parents met and fell in love. So Will tells his romantic puzzle of a tale which makes him realize about his charmed life, and the girl that got away.
"Definitely, Maybe" is a traditional "boy meets girl, boy loses girl" love story. But what makes the film unique is the way the narrative unravels. "Like a mystery love story," Maya says, and I definitely agree.
Will's story begins in 1992. A time when a certain presidential hopeful named Bill Clinton was trying to get elected and the musical group Nirvana dominated the popular culture landscape. Will was a young, doe-eyed aspiring politician who moves to New York from Wisconsin in order to work on Clinton's presidential campaign.
The movie mirrors Clinton's career trajectory. When the president was on top of his game, Will was enjoying the time of his life. But when the Lewinsky scandal broke out, our hero was also experiencing his own downfall.
As Will attempts to tell a gentler version of his story to his daughter, he changes the names of the three different women he's been romantically involved with, so Maya has to guess who is the woman her dad finally married. Is her mother the dependable girl-next-door Emily (Elizabeth Banks)? Is she his best friend, the apolitical April (Isla Fisher)? Or is she the ambitious, free-spirited graduate student Summer (Rachel Weisz)?
Writer/director Adam Brooks ("Wimbledon," "Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason") knows the romantic comedy genre and is not afraid to twist its conventions to come up with an enjoyable, if a bit formulaic, date movie.
I'm glad that Reynolds finally finds a vehicle that celebrates his status as a leading man. Often cast as a loveable lug, the actor puts his goofy charm into good use. The audience will be captivated by this romantic whodunit because of two reasons: first, his character's relationship with his daughter is well-written and second, the on-air chemistry between Reynolds and Breslin is heartwarming.
It's also a blast seeing Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz ("The Constant Gardener") in a romantic comedy film; and Isla Fisher, who got all the laughs in "Wedding Crashers," is a breath of fresh air.
Opening on Valentine's Day, "Definitely, Maybe" is a perfect film to celebrate with your sweetheart. Love is never simple or easy, but at least the movie will help make it all worthwhile. I'm saying definitely, yes to "Definitely, Maybe" and it gets 3 lots of love kisses.
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