Definitely, Maybe (DVD)

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Earlier in this review I called the film ´unorthodox.´ It is far more dramatic than it is humorous and while it could be labeled as a romantic comedy, it is a very dramatic and well-told story. Where it becomes unorthodox is the manner in which the story is told. "Definitely, Maybe" presents itself as a story of love lost and the majority of the events occur in flashback. Being a huge fan of television´s "Lost," I have learned to absolutely love this manner of storytelling where an end result is given, but flashbacks hold clues as to how things played out the way they did. In this case, we know that Will was in love and much of the film gives the impression that the love was entirely in the past. It could have went either way and had Will find love again or leave him heartbroken and remained entertaining, but the payoff of Will discovering love through the telling of his past was nicely done.

Writer/director Adam Brooks has pieced together a nice little dramatic film and I must admit that I enjoyed my two hours of time watching "Definitely, Maybe." This is not an Academy Award winning type film, but it is a very good diversion for either a rainy day or one of those hot summer nights when it is just too hot to be outside. The directing, writing, acting and story are all very good and while I hesitated into sitting down and watching this Ryan Reynolds film, it was quite enjoyable and I have zero problem with recommending this to others. This would be a perfect date movie and a very guy-friendly ´chick flick´ that is relatively easy to sit through.

Video:

"Definitely, Maybe" is presented in anamorphic 2.35:1 widescreen. The film provides a wonderful view of New York City and exhibits strong detail and coloring. During one of the supplements, Ryan Reynolds compares the film to a comic book and the film does provide scene transitions in a manner reminiscent of a comic book and this was one of the visual elements I remember most from the film. The various locations look very good and the strong level of detail of the disc allows many miniscule elements to be seen while watching the film. The coloring and skin hues are quite accurate and natural looking. Source materials were clean and no flaws were visible while watching the film. Black levels and shadow detail are good. There is a little grain and lack of detail during some of the darker moments, but that is my only real gripe with the transfer.

Sound:

"Definitely, Maybe" comes to DVD with English, French and Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes. This is a romantic film and these types of film typically lack a deep and involving soundtrack. "Definitely, Maybe" is no exception to this rule and while I would have enjoyed a more atmospheric representation of the Big Apple, I can´t say the film didn´t meet my expectations. Dialogue is the absolute most important aspect of the transfer and every spoken word was easily intelligible. The musical score by Clint Mansell adds some warmth to the transfer, but it too is mainly kept in the front channels. The .1 LFE channel is used some, as are the rear surrounds, but the left, right and center speakers handle the vast majority of the work. The transfer is clean, but it just doesn´t push the bounds very far.

Extras:

A few features are included with the DVD release of "Definitely, Maybe." The disc boots with a theatrical trailer for "Mamma Mia!" and two clips for current DVD releases from Universal. Some Deleted Scenes (5:42) are thrown in and the first entry on the "Special Features" menu. The scenes begin with a nice moment between Will and April that pokes fun at the MPAA. The deleted scenes were worth checking out. Creating a Romance (12:30) is a promotional little bit about the making of the film. The packaging and the DVD go a long way to let the viewer know that it is ´brought to you by Volkswagen." You don´t get too much more promotional than that. The Changing times of Definitely, Maybe (5:09) is a brief look that looks at the changing years between 1992 and 2008; the years the film takes place between. Finally, a Feature Commentary with Director Adam Brooks and Star Ryan Reynolds is a nice little commentary where the star and director discuss the film and reminisce on their work on the film.

Closing:

I enjoyed "Definitely, Maybe" a good bit and felt this dramatic romance film contained a nice amount of humor, heart and compassion. This is a very entertaining movie that is well written, well directed and the acting of Ryan Reynolds, the young Abigail Breslin and the remainder of the cast is very good. The DVD release combines fairly good set of visuals with an average sounding mix. The film looks good, but the sound is right in line with the typical pedestrian soundtracks of your average romantic dromedy. The bonus materials cannot compare with a full-blown special edition, but I´m always happy when a ´basic´ release comes equipped with a few nice bonus materials. I won´t call this the perfect ´chick flick´ that is guy-friendly, but it is definitely one of the better ones and it comes on a fairly good DVD.

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