Leap Year (Universal)
Rated PG for sensuality and language.
Starring Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow, Kaitlin Olson.
Written by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont.
Directed by Anand Tucker.
GRADE: C-
REVIEWWhat the heck happened to Amy Adams? She was the great new talent on the scene with Oscar nominations, charming performances and some decent box office until 2009 came along and suddenly, she's just another actor looking for a quick paycheck. Exhibit A would be
Night at the Museum: Battle for the Smithsonian, an awful film in which Adams was sorely miscast as Amelia Earhart. Then came
Julie and Julia, which proved Adams is an adequate talent, but has a way to go before she can reach Meryl Streep-like acting status. Now comes
Leap Year, a romantic comedy that might lead moviegoers to believe that Adams' star is beginning to fade.
Adams plays Anna, a driven, successful career woman living in New York City with her commitment-challenged boyfriend Jeremy (Adam Scott). One night, Anna is mistaken into thinking Jeremy is going to propose, but when the small jewelry box he produces from his pocket at dinner turns out to be earrings, she is crestfallen, feeling somewhat destined to remain single for the rest of her life.
Jeremy soon takes off for Ireland on a business trip, and Anna follows him there, believing in an old Irish legend that women are allowed to propose to men every February 29 (Leap Year). Anna's flight runs into trouble and is forced to land in Wales. By boat, Anna arrives in Ireland, but still many miles away from her beloved Jeremy in Dublin and only a few days away from February 29th. She arrives in a small fishing village where Anna employs Declan, a young, attractive pub owner to drive her to Dublin. Anna offers to pay Declan a large sum of money for his trouble, since he is on the brink of losing his pub.
The odd couple takes off on their Irish trek, encountering rain, cows, thieves and car trouble. Along the way they (raise your hand if you didn't see this coming) fall in love even though everything about them clashes.
When Anna finally arrives in Dublin, Jeremy proposes, leaving Declan unlucky in love but alone in his pub, now saved from foreclosure. Anna returns to New York with Jeremy, but does a little soul-searching about her choice in men. Will Anna run back to Declan and leave her reluctant beau? Well, DUH...
Leap Year is kinda awful, even by romantic comedy standards. It's very much like most other romantic comedies of the past 20 years, only it has a worse script and actors without chemistry. Adams' phoned-in performance is obvious and she really doesn't really click very well with Goode, who has a tough time making me believe he could ever be attracted to a woman as ditsy as Anna.
Leap past
Leap Year if you can, or go rent
French Kiss. It's basically the same story, only funnier and more romantic.
