Movie Review: Leap Year

Movie Review: Leap Year

I would consider myself an expert in the field of romantic comedies, so watching as many as I can has become of prime importance. One that I had not seen before was “Leap Year,” which stars Amy Adams, one of America’s favorite actresses. Since we had a snow day, I decided to watch and review it.

Firstly, I would rate the movie as a whole 5 out of 5 stars. Romantic comedies often have a charming vibe about them, which is caused by their balance of humor, wit, and light-hearted romance. However, as I continue watching these movies, my interest in them declines; the plots become more and more predictable. However, this movie completely surprised me.

The first pleasant component was the setting. The main character spends the majority of the movie navigating through Ireland, searching for love, but naive to the love right in front of her. While some may see it as a typical “boy meets girl movie,” or rather, “girl meets boy movie,” I could not get enough of the funny relationship dynamic between an intelligent, upper class woman from the U.S., and an Irish man from a modest background. Many of the prior romantic comedies I viewed have taken place in cliché locations, such as colleges, large cities, and various areas of the United States.

This entire movie is ironic because Amy Adams’ character, Anna, incidentally ends up on the wrong side of Ireland. She spends the rest of the movie attempting to find her seeming “true love.” However, she falls for someone else along the way.

Anna has to make a decision in the end: which man did she want to spend her life with? A wealthy cardiologist she was “perfect” for, or a stubborn, yet funny, man she had fallen for in Ireland? This was a decision that not only brought back the love triangle archetype, but also displayed the influence of social class and status in society.

Being a romantic comedy, it’s no surprise that Anna had chosen who she had “truly” loved. Unfortunately, situations like this don’t often play out in society, increasing the emotional appeal of these movies. If everyone was happy with the love in their life, society would not face the myriad of issues we do today. This Valentine’s Day, whether you’re single, taken, or somewhere in between, I suggest getting comfortable and watching a romantic comedy. While I recommend “Leap Year,” you can never go wrong with these cheesy, yet fulfilling movies.