Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
When yet another anniversary passes without a marriage proposal from her boyfriend, Anna decides to take action. Aware of a Celtic tradition that allows women to pop the question on Feb. 29, she plans to follow her lover to Dublin and ask him to marry her. Fate has other plans, however, and Anna winds up on the other side of the Emerald Isle with handsome, but surly, Declan -- an Irishman who may just lead Anna down the road to true love.
Leap Year is a perfectly watchable but thoroughly formulaic romantic comedy that hits every expected beat of the genre without deviation. The plot — city woman, wrong destination, reluctant local guide, obvious chemistry, oblivious original boyfriend — is a checklist of rom-com tropes executed competently but without surprise. Matthew Goode brings genuine charm and sardonic wit that elevates the material, and Amy Adams is likable if underserved by a thinly written character, giving the acting a modest boost. The Irish countryside cinematography is picturesque and does solid work as a backdrop, though it's never used in a particularly inventive way. The ending resolves exactly as telegraphed from the first act, offering zero ambiguity or emotional surprise. Novelty is low — the Celtic leap-year tradition is a thin hook draped over a recycled road-trip romance structure that offers nothing audiences haven't seen before.