Girl meets boy. Boy thinks girl is uptight. Girl thinks boy is a jerk. Boy and girl are forced to spend an extended amount of time together, resulting in the realization that said boy and girl coupling really isn't that bad.
Does the plot of "Leap Year" sound like the plot of every romantic comedy you've ever seen? Yes. But is it still mushy, addictive fun? Also yes.
While the film is nothing more than a predictable chick flick, it delivers exactly what escapist cinema should. Its script doesn't do anything suprising that would elevate it to the level of a rom-com classic, but it hits all the right notes and delivers exactly what fans of this genre might expect.
"Leap Year" stars Amy Adams as Anna, a big-city apartment decorator expecting her boyfriend of four years (Adam Scott) to propose soon. He doesn't, and after he leaves for a doctor's conference in Ireland, Anna decides to take advantage of an Irish tradition that lets women propose marriage on Leap Day -- Feb. 29. However, when weather diverts her plane, she is forced into the company of Declan (Matthew Goode), a gruff bar owner who offers to help her get to Dublin in time to pop the question.
The movie has more than a few problems, but what it gets right are the three essential keys to an entertaining date movie. First, the leading man is a winner. Goode is endlessly charming as the brooder with a secret heart of gold. His low-key delivery and Irish accent (regardless of its accuracy) make him a casting choice that is definitely swoon-worthy.
Second, two-time Oscar nominee Adams makes for a wonderful leading lady. Given that the romantic comedy audience is predominately female, it's important that women like the lead enough to root for her. While Adams can be a bit too bubbly at times, she's never threatening or bland (a la Katherine Heigl or Jennifer Aniston). She plays Anna as simultaneously strong and vulnerable, and, by the end, you'll want her to find happiness.
Third, the chemistry between the two actors is convincing. They fight just as well as they pine for each other, and scenes involving the two stuck in a tiny car or in a one-bed hotel room pretending to be a married couple are both tense and satisfying.
But, "Leap Year" isn't without its pitfalls. The two get over their dislike for each other a little too easily, with no real breakthrough moment to signal it. The ending of the film is also a little ridiculous, even by chick flick standards, given that the two had only spent about two days in total together.
Scott, the lead of the wonderful, little-known Starz television series "Party Down," is also sadly underused as the work-addicted, throwaway boyfriend.
Despite these problems, "Leap Year" is still reliable and fun, and you might catch yourself smiling more than once.
Is it a film to rush out and see in theaters or buy on DVD? No. But on a Sunday afternoon when you're flipping the channels and catch it on TBS, will you stop and watch it again? Sadly, yes.
Grade: B+
