Definitely, Maybe (2007/Universal/Widescreen DVD)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Film: D     Film: D

 

 

Another attempt to do a comic drama with pre-teens, Writer/Director Adam Brooks’ Definitely, Maybe (2007) has Ryan Reynolds as a single father ready to explain to his daughter (Abigail Breslin) how he met her mother and all while trying to meet new women.  At first, the film has some promise, but after the first few reels, it slowly slips into formula, sentimentality and too much scenery for Breslin to chew up, causing the whole affair to implode.

 

Too bad, because there was some potential in the arrangement and Reynolds is good when he applies himself and gets a good role.  Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz and Derek Luke help, but they are all fighting against the tide of a Hollywoodized scenario with no edge or realism whatsoever, so any attempts to “be real” ring very much the opposite way.  I was no fan of Love Actually or Notting Hill, made by the same producers as this, but they were better films as well.  Forget the demographics too, because this is just a dud.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image is softer than a new release should be and Florian Ballhaus’ cinematography is weak here, though it might just be the format.  Blu-ray should be an improvement, but the use of split screen does not work often here.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is better, but except for the use of certain hit records, this is dialogue-based and the hit record use (no matter how good the choices) does not always fit.  Extras include two featurettes, deleted scenes and an audio commentary by Brooks & Reynolds.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo