There’s nothing like a lovers-to-enemies love story to get some on-screen chemistry bubbling. Unfortunately, in Anand Tucker’s latest chick flick-out-of-your-memory, any sort of sexy tension gives way to annoying bickering.
Amy Adams stars as the rigid and controlling Anna, who is looking for happiness in a wedding ring — a letdown to any feminists hoping to see the next Adams flick. But when her boyfriend (Adam Scott) of four years fails to propose, she takes matters into her own hands. Planning to propose to her man on Leap Day, Anna journeys to Dublin to surprise her love with a proposal — apparently, it’s an ancient Irish tradition.
You guessed it: The plan goes awry. When inclement weather halts the expedition, our fearless heroine seeks refuge in a Welsh B&B run by the smoking hot Declan (Matthew Goode). He conveniently offers to drive her to Ireland.
And so begins a slough of bickering, insults, sexism and irritating dialogue. Along the way, cows are harassed, his car is totaled, her clothes are ruined and their true selves are exposed: He’s afraid of commitment, bitter because his fiance ran off with his best friend, and she can’t let her Type-A tendencies loose and enjoy life.
While we’ve seen and mildly enjoyed it all before (in “The Proposal” and “27 Dresses”), as the plot unfolds, it becomes obvious that a certain sexiness is missing between the two lovebirds.
The romance feels forced even when it’s not supposed to. Sure, “Leap Year” has those staple chick flick moments when Anna and Declan are required to kiss, share a bed and even pretend they’re married, but all feeble attempts to be heartwarming only reveal the shallowness of both the characters and plot.
Never fear though; the film ends as all rom-coms do — happily ever after. Yes, much to the cynical contingent’s dismay, the story is strung together with a shiny red bow, as Anna realizes that the love she was so desperately searching for was in a homely little breakfast joint in Dingle.
Though Ireland’s fairytale landscape keeps the film afloat for a time, the rolling hills simply aren’t enough to distract the audience from the lame message: True love can be found in three days — even if you’re constantly verbally abusing your lover.
