No Maybe About It

Every Valentine's Day it happens. A new romantic comedy comes out. Couples will sit in the back row snuggling with her wiping tears away and him smiling and thinking, I wonder how Rachel Weisz would look naked. (Stereotyping is terrible isn't it?) Definitely Maybe is this year's Valentine's offering and we're pleased to say that it's funny and sweet without being too sickly.

Will Hayes (a charming Ryan Reynolds) is getting divorced. After his curious daughter (the ever brilliant Abigail Breslin) gets taught about the birds and the bees, giving her a new found appreciation of the word penis, she decides to question her father about how he met her mum. Will then decides to tell her the story of the three girls he has been in love with, changing all the names he challenges Abigail to guess which one ends up being her mum.

With a man as the central character stuck in a love square (sort of) Definitely Maybe is refreshingly original. Reynolds plays Will as a genuinely good hearted guy who can have his heart broken without coming across as a wuss. The three lead women played by Rachel Weisz, Isla Fisher and Elizabeth Banks are all likeable but flawed enough to keep you guessing how it will all end.

Half the fun though is placing bets beforehand on which of the three he ends up with, if any. It's always good to mix up a bit of gambling with a cinema visit.

The only real problem with the film is the initial setting up of the story. Maya's reaction to her parents divorce is a bit implausible and the format of having to tell a child about your love life means that certain parts (ahem) are omitted or they are sugarcoated (except when he forgets he's talking to Maya which makes for a couple of comedy moments.) But once Will starts talking about the three women, complete with fake names, the story really gets going.

Definitely Maybe is the perfect date movie for girls who like romcoms and men who claim their favourite film is Commando when it's really Pretty Woman.