2135. Definitely, Maybe (2008)

Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks

Director: Adam Brooks

Running Time: 112 mins

Definitely, Maybe is an American film about a father on the verge of divorce who recounts his relationships with three women in the past to his daughter.

As far as my expectations of the romantic comedy genre go, I thought that Definitely, Maybe was a decent film. Although it doesn’t quite pack the emotional punch it aims to, nor does it have the most hilarious humour, it’s a pleasant, nostalgic and sweet film that you can sit back and have a wonderful time with, furthered by a whole host of charismatic performances across the board.

Let’s start off with those performances, which are easily the most entertaining part of the whole movie. A fluffy and easy-going vibe is nice enough, but it’s the charisma and humour that the lead actors bring to the table that make Definitely, Maybe even more enjoyable. In the lead role, Ryan Reynolds is as good as ever, and even though we know he can provide more off-the-wall performances, he’s very pleasant and as effortlessly charismatic as always in the role, and a delightful lead for you to relate to as he traces back through the stories of his past girlfriends.

Alongside Reynolds, as the three past girlfriends are Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher and Rachel Weisz. Although I can’t say that any of the characters have the depth or intrigue to really make you care about them as much as Reynolds’ character does, all three of the actresses are wonderfully likable from beginning to end, and each bring a wonderful and different persona to the table, which was great to see.

And that’s what leads into the film, despite being a fairly simple and generic romantic comedy, being an entertaining and occasionally even refreshing watch. Rather than being over two hours of just one endlessly cheesy romance, the story focuses on three different relationships, all with their own individual characteristics and atmosphere.

In that, we see our main character acting in a different way when he’s with different women, again keeping the story fresh throughout, and making it a whole lot more enjoyable than would have been the case with just one romance throughout. What’s more is that, as the film takes place over the course of a couple of decades, particularly centred in the 1990s, the changes of time period and setting helps to keep changing the atmosphere, and making for a continually more entertaining watch.

In truth, however, even though the film does have a refreshing atmosphere throughout and is definitely superior to some of the more generic and cheesier rom-coms, I still can’t say that it’s an exceptional film, simply because it doesn’t have the depth or humour to really engage you throughout.

Yes, it’s nice and fluffy, and the three separate relationships were a welcome change to the formula, however I felt that the lack of properly hilarious comedy and/or some more dramatic depth meant that I just couldn’t really be as deeply engrossed by the movie, so that’s why I’m giving it a 7.1 overall.