Leap Year
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Directed By: Anand Tucker
Starring: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, & Adam Scott
I have never understood characters that stalk off into unfamiliar terrain just because they are mad or upset...as though getting lost and possibly maimed or killed will somehow win them justice in the end. In Leap Year, Amy Adams huffs around so much that you begin to think she should permanently trade in her high heels for a nice pair of Skechers Shape-Ups. She is in Ireland, a place we learn is not as idyllic as it looks; there are ruggedly handsome jerks and boozers who steal luggage for no apparent reason. The last time I checked, the value of a bra depreciates significantly once it's worn, but I digress. Leap Year, written by Deborah Kaplan and Harry Elfont, has a really lame script. It isn't particularly funny or creative, and its narrative structure is poor to say the least...but, gosh darn it, the movie manages to make it work anyway. That is because of Amy Adams and Matthew Goode, both of whom are as charming as ever. They are two great actors simply slumming it in an old-fashioned romantic comedy, the quickest and easiest way in Hollywood to earn all-too-important box-office clout. It's kind of unfortunate to watch them give such good performances in an otherwise disappointing movie, but it's also kind of remarkable that they alone can make such material undeniably watchable...even enjoyable.
