Review: 'Leap Year' is a charming walk down the Isle

Anna Brady (Amy Adams) is so desperate to get engaged to her cardiologist boyfriend that she's willing to fly thousands of miles to Ireland and endure a series of humiliations and a journey worthy of Odysseus just to propose to him on Leap Day. It's an old Irish custom, you see, and though Anna doesn't believe in luck and superstition, the fact that Jeremy gave her earrings in lieu of the desired diamond is making her crazy.

Anna is a bit of a control freak. So when her trip goes a little off-track, thanks to a big ol' Irish storm, she ends up in a tiny village with no way to get to Dublin. Enter pub owner Declan (Matthew Goode), who'll ferry poor, lost American-in-Ireland Anna to Dublin in exchange for 500 euros. Luckily he's strong-willed enough to match wits with her, and so the pair embark on a trip that has all the trappings of a classic buddy movie: constant sparring, herds of cattle, a bar fight or two ... and love? Maybe all of Anna's best-laid plans will go wildly astray.

Sound like the plot of a Nora Roberts paperback novel? Well, "Leap Year" does veer into romance novel territory, what with its sweeping scenery, hunky leading man with an accent and independent, fiery heroine. It's nothing you haven't seen a hundred times before.

Adams is much more successful as a fairy princess ("Enchanted") than as a romantic comedy sweetheart, although she tries her best to pull Anna out of one-dimensional career-girl stereotypes. ("Do you ever let your hair down?" Declan wonders. Here's a spoiler: She does.) Adams is just so darn likable, and it works to her advantage. As for Goode, he's endlessly charming, has impeccable comic timing and can cock an eyebrow with the best of 'em. Though the endless series of pratfalls starts to wear thin halfway through, he and Adams manage to coax out more than a few laughs. You'll figure out what happens in the end, but at least it's fairly fun to watch.

The cinematography is what makes "Leap Year" worth seeing. Turns out Ireland is kind of pretty! It's not all murky bogs and leprechauns, you know. Think quaint cottages, downtrodden castles and stunning cliffs perfect for making out upon. Do Anna and Declan oblige us? I'm sure you can guess that for yourself.