See the film Leap Year near February 29th. That sounds like a good idea … at least it would’ve been were the film any good.

Leap Year is a romantic comedy that concerns Anna Brady’s (played by Oscar nominee Amy Adams) attempt to make her way to Dublin where boyfriend is staying on business. Her intention is to surprise him with a marriage proposal on February 29th. Propose on leap year day … its apparently an Irish tradition. All this despite her being American, as is her boyfriend. On her travels she meets up with Declan, the hunky Irishman, and ultimately the film’s love interest. Declan ironically sums up this film soon after meeting Anna; “propose on leap day? thats the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard!”

Leap Year is perhaps the most predictable, cliched romantic comedy I’ve ever seen, memorable only because of this undesirable status. There is no sense of authenticity or believability anywhere in this saccharin laden piece of processed rubbish. This is a classic case film by numbers, fill in the blanks, milled out to stake a portion of the romcom pie. The only trick they missed here was not to release it on an actual leap year. What were they thinking?

This film is not funny in any way, and the investment in its characters are paper thin, due mainly because of the unlikely situations they find themselves in. The Ireland portrayed in the this film is backward, cliched, and probably pretty offensive to the average upwardly aware Irish. Yet you feel there has been a genuine attempt to woo its audience, which only succeeds in offending me more. Patches of cinematography are notable showing off the spectacular Irish landscape, if somewhat ruined by some green screening. It also must be noted that Amy Adams does the best she can given the circumstances.

This is 100 minutes I won’t get back … nor is the time spent writing this review.