Definitely, Maybe...Sure, why not?

Once again, Thanks go out to IMDB.com for the following spoiler free synopsis of "Definitely, Maybe": Will Hayes, a 30-something Manhattan dad is in the midst of a divorce when his 10 year old daughter, Maya, starts to question him about his life before marriage. Maya wants to know absolutely everything about how her parents met and fell in love. Will recounts the history of his romantic relationships with three very different women. The twist? He changes the names and forces Maya to figure out which woman ultimately became his wife and her mother.

This movie was just what the doctor ordered. That said, I'm not going to turn this movie into something it's not. What I mean is, I spend 2 - 3 months during Oscar season watching considerably heavy, probably dark, mostly depressing, sometimes suffocating, theater fare. If you're lucky, you may catch a light-hearted movie around Christmas time that doesn't totally suck. Unfortunately, I never made it to the theater to catch National Treasure 2, so it was a very long, dark winter. The one spot of sun being Juno; even that was a bit heavy in a fun quirky way. Read that review here.

Flash forward to Valentine's day and you are generally guaranteed something that will lift that cloud a little bit, if it's not all crap. Thankfully, "Definitely, Maybe" is not all crap. It helps that I've been a big fan of Ryan Reynolds since the "Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place" days. Throw in Isla Fisher and I'm first in line at the box office. Isla Fisher, with this movie, cemented herself on my list of 5, which the sitcom "Friends" made popular, and our fellow reviewer, Jake, made reference to in his "Before the Devil Knows You're Dead" review found here.

With Elizabeth Banks (who's not universally known, but has been around for about 10 years) and Rachel Weisz to complete the womanly trio, you've got a good core group to build around. Let us not forget young Abigail Breslin who was made famous by the movie "Little Miss Sunshine" just over a year ago and you've really got some good actors to work with. Thank God, because with lesser actors, this truly could have fell flat. The result, however, is a delightful romantic comedy, with a bit of mystery thrown in to string the viewers along.

Adam Brooks wrote and directed this film and, I gather, really was able to shape the story into what he wanted. He hits all the right beats and knows just when to break the tension with a little levity. He knows when the action might be getting a little heavy for an 11 year old and finds a way out of it, with a quip or a break in the action for Abigal Breslin's character Maya. All done with a wink at the audience to remind them that this is a comedy and a story within a story.

I can think of a few leading men out there that could have pulled this movie off fairly well, but Ryan Reynolds is perfectly suited to this role and this was probably just what he needed after some heavy turns in "Smokin' Aces" and "The Nines". He doesn't knock this role out of the park, but like I said, this role suits him. It returns Reynolds to that happy place of "Two Guys and a Girl" that helped him stand out. The fact of the matter is I like Ryan Reynolds in just about everything he does and he really is becoming an everyman. I'll follow his film career anywhere, except Amityville. I'm never going back there again, no matter how many times it's remade.

Abigail Breslin's portrayal of Maya is also not a stretch for her. She really has little screen time, but her scenes set up the whole movie and we do get some comic moments when she's on screen. What really happens is that you begin to see how Maya becomes Jiminy Cricket to her father Will. Whether you agree with that comment or not, you can't deny that she grounds the film and becomes the emotional avatar for the audience. Kudos to Ms. Breslin's parents who must have approved the language and insinuations that she gets to vocalize in her opening lines. These are truly some of the funniest moments and I couldn't help inserting myself and my daughter in that conversation that will undoubtedly occur in about another 6 years.

Elizabeth Banks is solid as the first of the three women we meet in the tale. Her Emily is sweet and portrays the down-to-earth, girl-next-door character well. It strikes me that, for all her screen time, I didn't get any depth in the character. You don't really notice it and it doesn't hurt the movie, but I didn't realize that until I thought about Emily's impact on the overall story.

The second woman to enter the picture is Isla Fisher as April. She pops in and out of the movie at random intervals. Every time she comes on screen it's like a breath of fresh air. But that's probably just me. Ever since "Wedding Crashers" I'm probably a hairs breadth away from packing up the tent, moving to L.A. and joining the stalkarazzi when it comes to Ms. Fisher. I digress. Her character is fun, completely the opposite of Will in every way and truly is a free spirit. You can see every emotion that April feels coming through her eyes. This is the perfect balance to the uptight, hometown girl that we see in Emily and the goal-oriented, focused, and "experienced" third woman named...

Summer. As played by Rachel Weisz, whom most people will recognize. If not for 2005's "The Constant Gardner", then certainly for the first two "Mummy" movies. I love Rachel for this movie. Fact is I love her in almost every movie, but her Summer Hartley here is a perfect foil for Will's emotional balance. The whole time I watched this, I just felt like she was going to eat his soul and ruin him. If not with her personal drive, then by the mere fact the Will seems like a child next to her. She lights up the screen in her own way and her Manhattan, been there done that, way of living adds some life to the story.

As the story plays out and the mystery deepens, then twists, turns and the main players continue to pop in and out of Will's life, you wonder how it's all going to end. You feel it coming, you have your choice in your mind, Maya has her feelings, you want it all to end happily but you already know that it ends in divorce! This movie has a lot of cohones messing with you. But it all works! You want to know, and when you do...well, that would be telling. Let me just say that it doesn't end where you think it will.

In the end I'll give "Definitely, Maybe" 3.25 packs of Marlboro Lights out 5 packs Marlboro lights. I mean come on, it is a chick flick. That said, it's a great movie to take a date or your wife/girlfriend, or all three if that's how you roll. Personally, I didn't mind paying matinee prices to catch it. This movie isn't going to change your life, but it's great escapism that might let you forget about your life for a couple of hours. If nothing else, you get to see Isla Fisher, and that's good cinema.

I'm just saying.

Elijah