Will you figure it out? (Definitely, Maybe (DVD))

Member Name: Great_reviewer07

Product:	Definitely, Maybe (DVD)
Date:	20/06/09 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Sweet storyline

Disadvantages: Not enough explanation in parts

Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) has only had 4 loves in his life and one is his daughter. The other three have somehow all floated away in an air of mystery... up until now that is.

After having her first sex-education class, Will's daughter Maya (Abigail Breslin) becomes curious about her Father's love life, he is reluctant to tell her however she persists and he eventually gives in. He tells her that he's been in love with 3 different women throughout his life and one is Maya's Mother, he changes the three women's names and while telling the story about the three women Maya is determined to find out which woman is her Mother. Will also discovers things during his reminiscing too, he realises that he still loves one of them but which one?

Definitely Maybe is something that I recorded on Sky Movies at least three months ago and never got round to watching it, I thought it might be something to watch on a boring afternoon but for some reason it went to the back of my head and everytime I flicked through the Sky+ planner I just ignored this film, I had mentally put it in the rubbish pile without bothering to delete this. However when a friend came round and noticed this was in my planner she wanted to watch it so I gave in and put it on, with a hint of scepticism about it.

This movie is made by the same geniuses behind Bridget Jones and Love Actually, which coincidentally are two of my favourite films so I don't know why I wrote this film off without even giving it a chance. Although this film may not quite reach the starry heights that the previous two movies managed to reach, Definitely Maybe puts in a good effort and I have to admit that after about 5 minutes of reservations I let myself get completely enthralled in this and found it a very entertaining film.

Ryan Reynolds, besides being gorgeous, actually does a good job in this film. Albeit a bit bland but he comes across as a likeable character and although you may not love his acting skills, you can tell he put a lot of effort into this and he came away with a very loveable character. He'll also be a big hit with the ladies and in a romantic comedy you always need a good looking leading man otherwise it just wouldn't work! The three women in his life are played by Isla Fisher (April), Rachel Weisz (Summer) and Elizabeth Banks (Emily). Isla Fisher is always a funny character in films, I think she was my favourite character in the film and she definitely outshines Ryan Reynolds. Rachel Weisz, probably the best actress of the bunch does a really good job with her character, she comes across as seductive and mysterious yet warm and endearing. For sheer acting qualities I think she did the best job. Elizabeth Banks from the Spider Man films doesn't do a great job in this, I'm not sure whether it's because she was overshadowed by much more talented actresses or just because she's not that good an actress yet her character doesn't exude anything at all and is extremely bland. His daughter, played by Abigail Breslin does a really good job and is definitely someone to watch out for in the future, she plays a very sweet character and her naivety makes for a lot of laughs, this isn't exactly a laugh out loud movie but it's still funny in parts. Her character is very mature for her age and it's nice to see the Father/daughter relationship and how she seems to be in control of him most of the time!

I really like the story of this, it's something original but most importantly it's realistic. In most romance films they make out that there's only one perfect person out there for you when in reality you could have several different relationships throughout the course of your life and this film expresses that. This is a film that, unlike so many others it doesn't stick to that cheesy tradition where it's obvious who the main character is going to end up with. This film keeps you guessing throughout and just when you think you've figured out who Will, will end up with there'll be another twist in the tale and you'll have to put your thinking caps right back on and start from square one!

Usually with a pre-determined story like this one, things are normally already wrapped up nicely so when the past catches up to the future you already know everything. This film leaves you on tenterhooks because as we witness the story of Will and his three women you realise that although Will is currently going through a divorce with one of the women, he's still in love with one of them and it could be any one of them. This keeps the film interesting and allows for some really tense moments where you think things are finally going to work out for Will but they don't.

You're bound to have your favourite female character in the film and you'll find yourself willing the two of them to get together and if Will makes the wrong choice in your eyes you'll be yelling at the TV for him to open his eyes! Despite having a favourite character, all three women have something likeable about them and it's feasible that Will could end up with any of them which is what keeps you watching this film because you have genuinely no idea who he truly loves.

Something that I would liked to have seen more of is when Maya's Mum is finally revealed near the end we don't get to see what happened, Maya guesses and that's that but it would have been nice to see how the two of them got together and got married.

The ending is perfect for the story and like the rest of the film it doesn't bend to tradition or what the majority of society would think the 'perfect' ending would be. The ending isn't obvious either and it's definitely not something that you'll be able to predict.

This is a film that I would recommend to anyone, just because it doesn't quite have an A-List cast shouldn't put you off watching this because every member of the cast puts in a good performance. This is only rated a 12 so can be watched by pretty much anyone and has a decent running time of 112 therefore it's not too long but on the other hand it's not too short. It's a brilliant romantic comedy that definitely... not maybe deserves a chance.

The DVD is available from play.com for £3.99 which is a good price and this is something that I plan on buying in a couple of months when I fancy watching it again.

Summary: A sweet romantic comedy