There is a lot to like about the strange, slightly offbeat and beguilingly original three-part romantic comedy Definitely, Maybe. Writer and director Adam Brooks (screenwriter of French Kiss, Wimbledon and Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason) keeps things refreshingly adult and intelligent, the characters full of flaws and idiosyncrasies making them three-dimensional and human. 

Abigail Breslin and Ryan Reynolds in Universal Pictures' Definitely, Maybe

There is, however, almost just as much to shake your head at. Some of what passes for comedy is anything but, while the central conceit (straight-laced father on the eve of divorce tells his young inquisitive daughter a fairy tale version of the three great romances of his life and lets her try to figure out which one is her mother) is both intriguing and off-putting at the same time. More, a few of the scenes are forced and far too cute to work properly, while the slightly charming (if totally unbelievable) finale annoyed me more then I’d really like to admit.

Still, for those looking for a romance that takes a few risks, discusses things adults really do talk about and features a trio of excellent actresses working very near the top of their respective games this one could be worth a matinee look-see. Brooks doesn’t layer on the melodrama, refuses to let things fall too far over into pap sentimentality and eschews most (if not all) of the usual genre clichés. At times this picture is so good I simply couldn’t take my eyes off of it, the tears welling up within them honestly earned and justifiably spent.

Ryan Reynolds stars as the harried father, while Little Miss Sunshine herself Abigail Breslin portrays his precociously inquisitive little girl. Both are good even if they’re not the primary reason a person would decide to keep watching. For that, we must thank The Constant Gardener Oscar-winner Rachel Weisz, Invincible starlet Elizabeth Banks and (especially) Wedding Crashers dynamo Isla Fisher. All three are simply marvelous, each adding deft shadings to their respective love interests that kept me wanting to know more. I loved them, and it is no wonder Reynolds’ thirty-something Mannahattanite kept feeling just the same.

And yet, while this is certainly a massive improvement over Brooks' last directorial effort The Invisible Circus, some of this just doesn’t fly. Banks’ story never resonates as much as it probably should, while the reasons for Weisz’s ultimate dismissal doesn’t tread water. Also, discovering who the ex-wife-to-be here is ain’t exactly difficult, and the fact it takes Breslin’s ultra-smart kid so long to do so is borderline stupid. As for that climax, the less I say probably the better. Not only do I not want to spoil the (not really a) surprise, just thinking about how this one scene is everything the rest of the picture is not (forced, syrupy, cliché) frustrates me to no end. 

If only the filmmaker would have stuck to his guns, maintained the blissfully romantic momentum the early parts of the picture generate so effervescently. There are scenes that crackle and pop with comedic love-struck intimacy, many of them good enough I might just secretly treasure them for the rest of the year. It’s just the movie as a whole that has problems, Definitely, Maybe a flawed fairy tale that just misses the mark.

Film Rating: êê1/2 (out of 4)

Additional Links:

- Definitely, Maybe Theatrical Trailer