February 29 comes once every four years. How I wish movies like “Leap Year” were released with the same frequency. To say that it’s bad would be untrue, but dang it, I’ve seen this movie a thousand times. It would not be enough to call it formulaic; these days, it seems romantic comedies are mass produced from a cookie cutter, and unfortunately, the blade shows no signs of getting dull. Maybe I need to be institutionalized. After all, the definition of insanity is doing something repeatedly and expecting a different outcome. Incidentally, I was reminded of this a year ago, when a reader so kindly informed me that my opinion of the Renée Zellweger comedy “New in Town” wasn’t valid. I guess we’re at a point now where audiences no longer mind knowing how everything will turn out before entering the theater. That may be why the ads for this movie exhausted 90% of the plot.
 
And what of the plot? Anna, a real estate stager from Boston (Amy Adams), has spent four years with her heart-surgeon boyfriend, Jeremy (Adam Scott), who still hasn’t proposed to her. When he’s unexpectedly sent to Dublin for a cardiologist’s convention, Anna decides to follow him. You see, an Irish legend gives license for a woman to propose to a man on February 29, and lo and behold, this is a leap year and Jeremy just happens to be in Ireland in late February (the next leap year is actually 2012, but never mind). His flaws are made abundantly clear as soon as he’s introduced: Although he’s pleasant, he’s not especially sensitive, and his appearance is so pristine that it’s obvious he puts his needs above anyone else’s. So what exactly does Anna see in him? I guess she missed out on the “He’s Just Not That into You” craze.
 
When her plane is forced to land in Wales because of inclement weather, Anna begins a hellish journey across rough waters to an Irish village on the Dingle Peninsula. Once there, she comes across a rundown pub/inn run by Declan (Matthew Goode), a surly and cynical young man who hasn’t fared too well in the relationship department. He’s in need of cash to pay his rent, which Anna will give him if he agrees to drive her to Dublin. He begrudgingly accepts the offer. Thus begins an all new series of hellish journeys for Anna, most of which involve comedy routines that come dangerously close to the slapstick antics of Lucille Ball. Poor Anna – she just can’t seem to catch a train or a taxi on time, nor does she seem capable of adapting to Irish culture. For Declan, it’s a matter of having to put up with a superficial American woman who actually believes in falling in love.

Now, I could describe more, but honestly, do I really need to? Can you not see where this is going? Even if you can’t, surely you’ve seen the ads, and have they not already spelled everything out for you? Were it not for the casting of Adams and Goode, there would be very, very little about “Leap Year” you wouldn’t be able to get from any other romantic comedy. They’re both indeed great actors; Adams, beautiful in that cute and wholesome way, is still very much a likeable presence onscreen, and Goode, having appeared in films as diverse as “Watchmen,” “Brideshead Revisited,” and “A Single Man,” proves he’s capable of great range. And yes, they have chemistry, even at the early point in their relationship when they can’t stand each other.
 
Watching them, one can’t help but wonder why such talent wasn’t put to better use. Romantic comedies are a dime a dozen – anyone can star in them and have more or less the same effect on the audience. More or less. Maybe we should regard Hollywood romances the same way we regard teen slasher films, which generally have been vehicles for unknowns trying to break into the business. Adams and Goode are at a point now where they no longer need to appear in a story this contrived, implausible, and predictable.
 
All the same, I’m not against romantic comedies. Remember, I gave passing grades to “Music and Lyrics,” “No Reservations,” “P.S. I Love You,” “What Happens in Vegas,” and “Definitely, Maybe,” and I greatly enjoyed last summer’s “The Ugly Truth.” Yes, they were all conventional, but I appreciated both the character development and the stylish approach given to their respective stories. But “Leap Year,” harmless though it may be, has absolutely no ambition to be anything more than what it obviously is. The story is completely foreseeable. The characters are flatly constructed. The humor is unappealingly broad. If general audiences can accept this, why can’t I? Did I actually go into this expecting something different? I’m ready for my straightjacket now.

- Chris Pandolfi

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