Definitely, Maybe was like a great plate of cinematic nachos. It had a great foundation of tortilla chips, with just the right amount of fixings--not to many beans and the perfect amount of jalepeno kick--all topped with a wonderful layer of cheese. A proper romantic comedy cannot avoid that top layer, though a well executed one uses the cheese as a compliment and not as the overpowering ingredient.
The movie listens in on Will Hayes, played by the beautiful, albeit plastic Ken Dollesque Ryan Reynolds, recounting his three life loves to his daughter Maya, portrayed by Abigail Breslin. Abigail Breslin is darling, though in a way that suggests she's well aware of her charm, which reduces it slightly. Of course, the stunning Will Hayes has three choice leading ladies: Elizabeth Banks, Rachel Weisz, and Isla Fisher. They all represent a certain kind of woman. The "safety" girl, the "charming heart breaker", and the "sarcastic girl next door." In a way, it's kind of an intense too-much-info bed time story to his young daughter. Maya is much more perceptive that you'd think: "Dad, what's the boy word for 'slut'?" Though, we're supposed to believe it's appropriate because Maya's school dropped the sex education class bomb on her, which sparked the whole conversation to begin with.
I won't get weighed down by the plot, since you can just see that unfold for yourself. I will say that I was utterly charmed by this movie. Of course, if you've read more than 2 of my entries, it's easy to see that I'm easily won over. Yet, this movie manages to be touching in a meaningful way despite the risk it runs of being completely cheesy. The fact that my brother, who has a critical eye for pop-culture, liked this movie proves that it's a successful romantic comedy. Of course this links back to the fact that everyone--especially guys--loves nachos, so why wouldn't he dig into a big cinematic plate of them?
I will say that my main problem with the movie was how "well" the characters aged. Basically, Ryan Reynolds and his ladies look 20 for the entire movie, despite the weak attempt to make them look progressively older with barely perceptable changes in their hairdos. Well, that's a bit off. Rachel Weisz looks 24, despite being 37 in reality. Of course, Kevin Kline, who's minor role is a pleasant surprise, definitely (not even maybe) looks old. I guess they thought one older looking character would distract us from the eternal youth of the other characters.
Will, who arrives in New York City from Madison, WI thinking he'll one day become president, has to settle for life's harsher realities. Plans, when you make them, often crumble apart in your hands. What makes this movie a bit different from others, however, is that despite the fact that life took him where he didn't expect, Will doesn't really have a chip on his shoulder. You truly see Will grow up. His maturation is a nice counterpoint to Kevin Kline's portrayal of a rather surly self-centered and, despite his grey hair, immature old man. It also helps that the movie doesn't have the the straight forward formula of plot set up, high point, low point, and then resolution. The bed time story narrative allows for a more winding structure that throws a few curve balls, kind of like biting into a big jalapeno slice on your tortilla chip--it's bound to throw you off for a second.
Okay, now I'm getting too cheesy with the nacho thing. The fact is that as I left the completely full theater this Saturday, every couple was holding hands, walking out with their arms around each other, or engaging in tasteful PDA. Definitely, Maybe succeeds in warming everyone's heart.
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