Photo illustration: Everett Bogue; Photos: iStockphoto, Getty Images

It's Valentine's Day, and love is in the air! Specifically, love is in New York Times critic A.O. Scott's heart. Finally. Scott's spirit was so broken by Over Her Dead Body that he publicly declared he might never love again. Then Fool's Gold just made him bitter and angry. But there's a new movie in A.O. Scott's life, and he couldn't be happier! (See photo, above.)

I’ve been known to complain about the abysmal quality of contemporary American romantic comedies, which forsake intelligence, individuality and emotional risk for crude sex jokes or gauzy bridal-magazine fantasies. While “Definitely, Maybe” is hardly perfect, it navigates the choppy waters of modern courtship with commendable, understated honesty.

Wait a second. "Hardly perfect"? Are you sure about this, A.O.? Let's look through the rest of the review. "Mr. Reynolds is dashing and sarcastic enough to fight off the lingering threat of blandness." Er… "Hardly an incisive political satire, [but] it does capture some of the flavor of the times." Um. "This movie, unlike almost every other Hollywood tale of New York singles, was actually filmed in the city."

Oh, no, A.O. Scott. It doesn't sound like you're in love. Honey, it sounds like you're settling.

How I Met Your Mother: A History Lesson in Love [NYT]

Previously in the A.O. Scott Romantic Chronicles:
Pity Poor A.O. Scott As the Dog Days of February Arrive
A.O. Scott Is Still Grumpy About ‘Over Her Dead Body’
A.O. Scott Still on Romantic-Comedy Detail, Getting Grumpier