Movie review Definitely Maybe could have been better
February 16th, 2008, 4:53 am Hobbies And Interests
For those who like their love stories to feel like an oversize box of chocolates washed down with a gallon of warm milk, Valentine’s Day offers “Definitely, Maybe,” which treats a callow young man’s romantic history as if it were “The Epic of Gilgamesh.”"Definitely, Maybe” is brought to you by Working Title, the British production company that made its name with “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and the first “Bridget Jones” movie and has since produced many fine films, including “United 93″ and “Hot Fuzz.”But try as it might, Working Title’s attempts to reinvent the romantic comedy have produced long sits like “Love Actually” and now “Definitely, Maybe.” (Time to hire some new blood in the title department.) The company is also responsible for trying to make Americans appreciate England’s least funny human being, Rowan Atkinson. But that is another subject entirely.”Definitely Maybe” refers to itself as a “love story mystery.” At least this is what 10-year-old Maya (Abigail Breslin) calls the love life of her dear old dad, Will (Ryan Reynolds). Maya has just had her first sex ed class at school and threatens her father with repeating the question “how do you accidentally thrust a penis into a vagina” again and again unless he tells her how Will and Maya’s mom, soon to be Will’s ex-wife, met.It turns out that once upon a time, Will had three very different, very hot women in his life. It’s up to his precocious little daughter to figure which one of these horizontal bops made the baby who grew up to be the girl who is about to become a child of divorce.There’s Emily, the erstwhile Wisconsin college sweetheart (Elizabeth Banks in a thankless role). Then there’s Summer, the aspiring journalist and free-love advocate (Rachel Weisz). And, finally, April (Isla Fisher), the miniskirt-wearing feminist who meets Will while they’re working on Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign.Written and directed by Adam Brooks, “Definitely, Maybe” has a certain bland appeal, provided you don’t mind that there isn’t one detail in the movie that has a faint ring of truth.
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