Año Bisiesto

I saw Leap Year at a screening before the holidays, and found it much more "enchanting" than the typical romantic comedy. The story line is simple - basically, it is "It Happened One Night" in Ireland: apartment "stager" Amy Adams, tired of waiting for her uptight, longtime boyfriend to propose, decides to meet him on business in Dublin on Leap Day when tradition states that a man must accept a woman's proposal. Weather forces her to be diverted, first to Wales and then to the west coast of Ireland, she has to be driven to Dublin by and disgruntled bitter local.

But while the story is straight-ahead, the movie is extremely charming due to the terrific chemistry in between Amy Adams and Matthew Good. Whereas other romantic comedies pander to the lowest common denominator with base humor, this one feels much more like "4 Weddings and a Funeral" or "Local Hero." The characters seem simple at first, but we see the depth beyond them as the movie goes on. The comedy is always sharp, and special kudos to the actors who play the superstitious friends of Matthew Good, but this movie never forces in the pratfalls and dumb jokes that we see in your typical romantic comedy movie. And when there a bigger laughs (a scene at a wedding is particularly funny), the movie delivers.

There are a couple of slow spots, especially at the very beginning, but the last 20 minutes are funny, touching and real. I think it is a very good movie for our times right now, with a message that rebukes control and superficiality and all the trappings of what most of feel makes for a successful life. And our audience was with it throughout, and applauded at the end.

I've seen this movie multiple times over the years and just watched it again. Amy Adams carries the movie, she's a fantastic actress and Matthew Goode was still good looking in this movie. I have to admit watching her doing that much walking on Ireland's country roads made my feet hurt! The scenery is stunning!

(2010) Leap Year DRAMA/ ROMANTIC COMEDY

Sometimes over-the-top with plenty of awkward moments more than the film can handle is still quite a passable watch which demands some reconstructing or editing! This is yet another romantic comedy centering on an Irish folklore tradition when on Feb 29 every four years has females proposing marriage to their spouses! In this case it's actress Amy Adams and her misadventures into attempting to do just that, and at the same time build a rapport with someone else which is actor Matthew Goode who is being paid to guide her. It's basically another one of those films where viewers are aware about it's ending without knowing what it can offer in the middle which can sometimes showcase some really good moments, as well as avoidable awkward ones! It also can be looked at as an Irish rendition of a much more superior film called "The Sure Thing" starring John Cusack and Daphne Zuniga made in 1985. Amy Adams is still a wonderful to watch which kept this film from going under.

Get over the negative reviews. This is a lovely film, sweet, with charming characters and a lovely setting. If you believe in the power of romance it may even make tears well up in your eyes. Not meant to change the world just meant to be a fun film. Louis, as in Louis Vuitton the suitcase, is one of the best characters right to the end of the film!

This opinion isn't going to win me any friends but its not as bad as everyone says it is, bear with me.

The thing is with Leap Year is that we all know how this movie is end 20 mins in, the trick is does it make us care to want to watch? I thought it did. Goode and Adams are good together and, yes, there is a little bit too much Irish Tourism advertising going on, but still enough going on to keep us entertained. Feather light yes, but so what, that's not always a bad thing. All movies cannot be Schindlers List.