Leap Year (2010)

I love romantic comedies and got really excited when I recently saw the preview for Leap Year. I love Amy Adams and remembered Matthew Goode from a few other movies(Chasing Liberty, Watchmen, Match Point). Lately, there have been a lot of romcoms that don't do it for me, they're just lacking the heart, that certain something. Thankfully, Leap Year had heart, laughs and was just all around a well done movie. 24 hours after seeing it, my boyfriend and I were still talking about how much we liked it.

The premise is that Anna(Amy Adams) has been dating her doctor boyfriend for 4 years, they're buying an apartment together in Boston, and she wants to get engaged, but he hasn't asked. So she plans to surprise him in Dublin while he's away on business on the one day in Irish tradition that says the woman can propose to the man, Feb 29th of a leap year. Of course, her trip doesn't go as planned, and she ends up needing help getting to Dublin from Declan(Matthew Goode).

While predictable as far as romantic comedies go, it was fast paced, funny and romantic. We both really liked Matthew Goode's character and his sense of humor. He was excellent as a multi-faceted leading man. I love Amy Adams because she seems like a regular girl(funny, sweet, not a twig)and she was perfect for the role of Anna. The scenery of Ireland was gorgeous, and makes you want to take a trip there. Definitely a great date movie, worth paying to see.

Unfortunately, no good special features on the DVD, only some deleted scenes. I'm a sucker for "making of" featurettes and thought they might at least have done a little something about filming in Ireland. You'll only find a bare bones DVD here.

This is one of the cleanest funny movies I've seen in a long time. Even with its predictable ending, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Tell me....why can't Hollywood make more of these movies instead of the garbage they usually make. Can't wait till it's released on DVD.

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LEAP YEAR

STARRING: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow and Noel O'Donovan

WRITTEN BY: Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont

DIRECTED BY: Anand Tucker

Rated: PG

Genre: Romantic Comedy

Release Date: 08 January 2010

Review Date: 26 May 2010

When Leap Year slid past me in the theaters from doing so horribly at the box office and being plagued by rumors that it was horrible; I wasn't all that let down that I missed it on the big screen. Having recently seen it on video, I was shocked at how amazing it was and wished I had gotten the opportunity to catch it in theaters.

The sensational Amy Adams stars as Ann; a woman so many women can relate to: she's dating a guy who may never commit. Her boyfriend of quite some time, Jeremy (Adam Scott) is far too consumed with bettering his career to even stop and consider marriage let alone actually pop the question.

When Jeremy rushes off to Ireland for a career opportunity, Ana is left alone wishing there was something she could do. Upon hearing about an Irish tradition, she realizes there is something she can do. She can fly to Ireland and propose to Jeremy herself, as each leap year allots for this to be customary there.

If you are at all like me, you are already skeptical by the premise and if you've seen the trailer, it only adds to such skepticism. However, film works magic with its weak supposition and the trailer fails to provide it with any solitude.

Ana had no idea just how difficult it would be to track Jeremy down. Between being caught in nasty storms, missing trains and being barricaded by a heard of wild animals, it seems she may never reach her love. All is not lost though, as she is accompanied on these miss-adventures by her unbeknownst to her true, true love, Declan, played by Matthew Goode.

The two can't stand each other for the majority of the film, but we can see their underlying chemistry behind all their bickering. Soon enough, having shared a few moments, and after they let their guard down to one another, they will see it too.

Leap Year was written by the team who crafted such hits as Made of Honor and Can't Hardly Wait. And it has some of the best cinematography of the year, displaying magnificent shots of the Irish countryside that will have you booking a flight there during the movie.

This is the kind of film that evokes thoughts of fate and as a huge advocate for fate, I find this refreshing in films. If you've ever been touched by destiny in your life, then you know exactly what I am talking about. Sometimes we kick and scream at the sight of the path we find ourselves on, only to realize later, and sometimes much, much later, that it is in fact the path we prefer.

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Leap Year is charming for several reasons. One. It is primarily set in Ireland and the lush scenery makes it visually delicious.

Secondly, the classic storyline is freshly retold. A girl who is on the cusp of living her perfect-for-her fairy tale life, lacks one thing, an engagement ring. Her charming, but irresponsible father, reminds her of an Irish tradition. Every leap year, a woman is able to propose to the man she loves and then her dreams will come true. It had worked for a member of Anna's (Amy Adams) family.

When Anna's cardiologist boyfriend fails to propose (oh, he delivers diamonds, but of the earring variety) the night before he leaves for a medical conference in Dublin, Anna decides enough time has passed and she'd grab hold of her dreams and use the Leap Year legend to make it happen. After all, Jeremy is already in Ireland, so there must be a wee bit of fate involved.

Finally, there is serious heart in this movie. Declan (Matthew Goode) plays the angry, wounded bartender who agrees, after a series of travel mishaps, to haul Anna to Dublin. Anna, determined to create the secure life she never had as a child, begins to break down Declan's walls. As the two interact, they soften towards each other and begin to understand one another. There are a couple of satisfying scenes when realization dawns and both actors silently emote feelings that can't be put into words. Leap Year is an old-fashioned romantic story that didn't involve sex first, love later or require a lot of four letter words to make a point. Comfortably PG.

Of course, this is romantic comedy/chick flick territory so there are predictable and yeah right moments. But when the movie is this sweet, does it matter where Declan got clean clothes that fit, or that the intelligent, savvy, extremely methodical Anna didn't think about electricity issues in Europe? Not at all. When this movie releases on DVD I will purchase it.

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I was so happy to find a romantic comedy that I could enjoy with my 11 year old daughter. We both loved it! Beautiful shots, great acting and fun story...nice, clean, romantic fun!

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