Movies: Definitely, Maybe

I could lament at length at the dearth of satisfying movies; CGI overtaking plot, scripts pandering to mass appeal rather than originality etc, But one of the most vacuous of cinema genres is the good old Rom-Com. Women in search of a good chick flick are being short changed when they hand over their admission price. It seems that a couple of pretty faces and a mad dash to the airport in the finale is all it takes to market a film for people who do not want to see the latest video game animated on screen, or aliens destroy a major metropolitan area. As cliched and flawed as they may now seem, no current romantic comedy can compare to the likes of Four Weddings, Bridget Jones and Love Actually, films which benefit with repeat viewing because of their adorable characters and self-deprecating wit. Even the Yanks are capable of hitting the mark although I can't remember a movie since Moonstruck that did. Even if it did star Nicholas Cage.

So I was quite optimistic about Definitely, Maybe. It received warm if not glowing reviews, and it was tagged "from the producers of Love, Actually". The plot seemed odd but that was already a step in the right direction. A father (Ryan Reyonolds), going through a divorce, tells his daughter the true tale of three women in his life, while she tries to guess which one is her mother and his soon to be ex-wife. At least it's post-modern!

While I have seen many movies that are worse than this, but I've never actually handed over hard-earned cash. I found so little to redeem this movie that I could fill a powerpoint presentation on how not to make romantic comedy. But to summarise, its major flaws are chemistry and continuity. The former is forgivable, the latter is absurd.

The movie's reminiscence starts in New York at the start of the Clinton (Mr.) presidential campaign. Ryan's character, Will, is just out of college and working as a campaign rookie. He has is hoping to maintain his long distance relationship with sweetheart and potential Mom #1. While at campaign HQ he meets potential baby mommy #2 and subsequently, candidate number 3. He flip-flops his attention and affections between each one in an effort to keep the mystery going, but this plot device fails to endear the audience. There is no natural connection between him and any of the female leads and he comes across as fickle, lacklustre and even naive. Reynolds lacks charisma and wit, but the script does nothing to help him.

There are far too many Clinton references including news footage and round table discussions as to his politics, This is a huge misfire. It serves no purpose to the plot and it dates the story. We know the story starts in 1992 but no effort is made with wardrobe or props. Also, and allow me to nit-pick here, if Will's daughter is about 11 (the actress Abigal Breslin is 12) and we are assuming it's present day, Will must have been at least 22 after he graduates from college . It's another 5 years before his daughter is born, so he must be 38 while he's telling the story. Right? Ryan Reynolds is 32, which is not my issue. I'm far more irked by the fact that his wardrobe, hair and his general appearance do not age in 16 years. To paraphrase that other successful US romcom - I'll have what he's having. It confirms to me that the role was written for an older actor and I can't help thinking how the movie may have worked with and actor with charm and experience. And apologies to my Canadian colleagues, Mr Reynolds has neither.

I'm also a little concerned as to the details he was divulging to his daughter. Apart from admitting he potentially loved three women at the same time, he also admitted her maybe-mother shagging her 60 year old college professor, a fleeting lesbian affair and her promiscuity. But perhaps the most psychologically damaging part to this story is that the mother of his daughter is not the women he's actually been in love with for all these years! But thankfully his one and only off-spring decides to switch her desire for a parental reconciliation to the crowd-pleasing ending. Family values be damned! There's a mad rush in a cab and Daddy, accompanied by child, snogs the right women in the end. Am I the only one who finds this a bit creepy?