In the midst of all the romantic comedy movies that have been released in 2008, “Definitely, Maybe” stands above as the best so far.

Starring Ryan Reynolds as political consultant Will Hayes and Abigail Breslin as his daughter Maya, “Definitely, Maybe” does not follow the typical “boy meets girl and falls in love” romantic comedy formula.

In the midst of a divorce from her mother, Will recounts the story of his oft-unfortunate love life to Maya. In order to keep her daughter from picking favorites as he’s talking about the three major relationships in his life, he changes their names so Maya can’t guess which one ended up as her mother.

All the principal actors in the movie put in strong performances, and create likable characters. Reynolds and his three love interests, Isla Fisher, Elizabeth Banks and Rachel Weisz are all charming, witty and believable. However it’s Breslin, the breakout child star of “Little Miss Sunshine” who goes above and beyond, creating in Maya an empathetic emotional center to the movie.

The movie mostly takes place in flashbacks to the nineties, when Will was in his twenties. It begins as he leaves his college sweetheart Emily (Banks) in Wisconsin to work on Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential campaign in New York City.

Emily gives Will a package to give to her old college roommate Summer (Weisz), who is living in the city. As he arrives in New York and starts out retrieving coffee and stocking office supplies at the campaign headquarters, he meets free-spirited office assistant April (Fisher), and from here a complex series of relationships and breakups ensues.

The story is full of relationships, hardships, and enough love triangles to vex the most avid lover of geometry. This movie is not a light, fluffy romantic comedy fairy tale. There’s no sense of the overcoming power of love in this movie, and there’s no “happily ever after” moment at the end of this movie.

The movie is not a downer, and ends with an uplifting sense that things will work out. It portrays the difficulties of relationships and dating in a more realistic sense than most romantic comedies, and is more comparable to “About a Boy” or “High Fidelity” than “Love, Actually” or “27 Dresses.”

“Definitely, Maybe” is a solidly entertaining, well-executed romance movie, that offers entertainment and laughs while avoiding being insubstantial or fluffy. Anybody looking to take a date to a movie would be hard-pressed to find a better option currently in theaters.

four out of five Stars

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