Four out of
Five stars
Running time:
114 mins
Enjoyable, emotionally engaging and frequently amusing romcom with a charming central performance from Ryan Reynolds and superb support from Abigail Breslin and the three lead actresses.
What's it all about?
Ryan Reynolds stars as Will Hayes, a 30-something Manhattan dad in the midst of a divorce, who finds himself questioned by his inquisitive 10-year-old daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) about his life before marriage, specifically the story of how he met and fell in love with her mother. Attempting to tell Maya a PG version, Will changes the names so that Maya has to guess which of the women in his past he finally married: childhood sweetheart Emily (Elizabeth Banks), longtime best friend April (Isla Fisher) or free-spirited journalist Summer (Rachel Weisz)?
The Good
Reynolds makes a terrific lead as Will, delivering a performance that is both sensitive and charming, especially in his interactions with the super-talented Breslin. There's also strong support from each of the three female leads, as well as an amusing extended cameo from Kevin Kline, as Summer's much older lover.
The script is excellent and keeps you guessing right up until the end, while still managing to pull off a couple of surprises. It's also peppered with funny lines and writer-director Adam Brooks mines a lot of humour out of Maya's constant interruptions (a trick that worked to superb comic effect in The Princess Bride and is repeated to good effect here).
The Great
Definitely, Maybe is that rare thing – a romantic comedy that actually manages to be both romantic and funny, without resorting to gross-out gags or the sort of painfully unfunny slapstick that occasionally passes for comedy in Hollywood. Indeed, Brooks' writing and direction is assured throughout, indicating that he could be maturing into a talent to watch.
Worth seeing?
Definitely, Maybe is a well made, superbly written and emotionally engaging romantic comedy with terrific performances from a strong cast. Highly recommended.
Film Trailer
Definitely, Maybe (12A)