Definitely, Maybe
Directed by Adam Brooks

Abigail Breslin may have gotten an Oscar nom for Little Miss Sunshine, but that doesn't save her from being cast in the most cloying child role in ages in Definitely, Maybe. As the daughter of political consultant Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds), she just wants to know the truth of how her father met her mother. Poor Breslin is stuck with precocious, wise dialogue - an "isn't that cute" circus-monkey for deplorable grown ups, she casts adult judgment of Will's lovelife.

The who-cares-mystery of which of Will's three 1990s' love interests (Elizabeth Banks, Isla Fisher or Rachel Weisz) is her mother presumes his relationship with each of them is distinguishable. Will is moulded by the women, who in turn aren't humanized enough to be changed by their time with him. It's keeping with the milquetoast approach that Will can work on Bill Clinton's campaign without the film holding any political stance. Writer/director Adam Brooks' recreation of the 90s otherwise consists of Nirvana references - because, really, nothing else went on in pop culture that decade.

The factory-made wonderful moment of Reynolds and Fisher betting on whose cigarette burns slowest strips the honest affection viewers expect for the phoniest screen romance since Love, Actually. Yes, you can polish a turd.

Copyright, Mark Palermo