365 Days. 365 Films.

Since the 1990s there have been a distinct lack on romantic comedies, or at least good ones, but this film puts the ‘spark’ back into the genre. The story is about Will Hayes (Ryan Reynolds) telling his daughter, Maya (Abigail Breslin), the story of his romantic life before marriage. Now going through a divorce, Will describes his three major relationships to Maya, changing each of their names, keeping Maya’s mother’s identity secret.

Writer and director, Adam Brooks reanimates romantic comedies with a different style of storytelling and his script is both funny and moving. Although I do miss the classic rom-coms of Nora Ephron, Brooks reanimates that classic feel with a modern twist.


I never expected much from this film but any fans of the genre shouldn’t be too disappointed. The best part of the film is the casting; Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Banks and Isla Ficher are equally charming in their roles, but as usual Breslin is sweet, funny and perfect for the part. I’m surprised Ryan Reynolds hasn’t had more romantic lead roles because he does play the part well, particularly as a father. The father/daughter relationship is what makes this film so sweet and enjoyable to watch because it provides more of a challenge to the story; when Hayes does something wrong in his relationships, rather than the audience passing it off as a typical romantic comedy hurdle, the story between father and daughter becomes much more intimate. With the element of having a child, we are more aware of Hayes’ actions and it gets the viewers involved in his emotions as he tells the story.

This film is not quite as predictable as I would like it to have been, in that I was really trying to pick faults in it, although not many were found. The only faults I could find were in the cinematography as there could have been a lot more to do with it, although having said that, it was barely noticeable which bodes well for escapism. It’s an uplifting movie with a lot of heart behind it, and definitely, maybe one to watch.