Film

Definitely, Maybe

Cert: 12A

Description: Advertising executive Will Hayes is in the process of finalizing his divorce. Picking up his young daughter Maya from school one day, Will is taken aback when the precocious child begins asking all sorts of questions about his past; particularly his relationships before he met his soon-to-be ex-wife. In a series of overlapping flashbacks, Will reminisces about his doomed romances with college sweetheart Emily, free spirit April and aspiring journalist Summer, against a backdrop of Bill Clinton's rise to political power.

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Dir: Adam Brooks.

Cast: Rachel Weisz, Ryan Reynolds, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks, Abigail Breslin

Country: US.

Year: 2007.

Duration: 111mins

Give me the details, Dad

No clich�s: Abigail Breslin and Ryan Reynolds

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Is this America's best film-maker?

By Derek Malcolm
7 Feb 2008

This pleasing if not terribly ambitious rom-com from Working Title has the personable Ryan Reynolds as an advertising executive on the verge of a divorce relating his up-and-down romantic history to his inquisitive daughter (Abigail Breslin).

Most of the film takes place in flashback, as the girl, having just received her first sex-education lesson at school, wants to know precisely what happened to her father's marriage and who her mother actually is.

A college sweetheart (Elizabeth Banks), a free spirit working for Clinton's 1992 campaign (Isla Fisher) and an aspiring journo (Rachel Weisz) are among the girlfriends and there's nice playing all round.

What's more, the Clinton era is summoned up well by writer-director Adam Brooks. If the film might have ended sooner, at least it is just edgy enough to watch without fear of the usual Hollywood cliches.