There are two times of year that critics dread–late August and early January. Both have that post-holiday rush of all the big gun major theatrical releases being done. What is usually left are all the ‘other ran’ flicks, those who just didn’t have a solid place on the release schedule. The dead of winter is a traditional dumping ground for cinema runts. That is why Leap Year is such a welcome surprise.

Amy Adams plays Anna who is a Boston apartment stylist, someone who comes in and fills empty spaces with furniture and homey touches, creating an illusion of what can be. Her job is to convince prospective buyers that the shown place is the home of their dreams. She has her own place of dreams, an apartment in a very up-scale building. She and her boyfriend Dr. Jeremy (Adam Scott) interview with the apartment board, trying to convince the group to let the couple buy in. Anna also expects a ring from her doctor beau.

She meets up with her father (John Lithgow) at a local watering hole. He reminds her of the story that Grandma used to tell that on leap year day in Ireland the female can ask the man in her life for his hand. When the doc doesn’t propose at the expected time, our little gal is perplexed about what to do. It just so happens that boy friend is going to be in Dublin for a medical conference on leap year day. She gets the idea that it would be romantic to ask him. So before one can blink, here comes the road trip.

Her opening adventure to get to the Emerald Isle is fraught with plane delays and storms, but it firmly places in the mind that she is a woman who is not used to being told ‘no’. When Anna finally gets to the shore it is by a little boat that is nowhere near her intended destination. Going into a local pub, she confronts Declan (Matthew Goode) the local saloon owner and taxi service proprietor. It seems that he is need of a bunch of money to keep his business in business so he offers to take her even though he hates the capitol city. Getting into his classic car (read old) the two embark on a five hour trip.

Everyone who knows Romantic Comedy Script 101, knows that the plans will not turn out as planned. On the road to Dublin, we get broken down autos, cows in the roadway, sliding down a mountain side and the miss-assumptions of the locals that these two are a couple in love. Declan keeps calling Anna ‘Bob’ but never explains the nickname. Anna finds that she may not be in as ‘in love’ with her doctor than she thinks. The entire exercise builds to the meeting of Anna and Jeremy in Dublin, with a few unexpected twists to tie up the eventual ending.

The most important element in the genre of the romantic comedy is the chemistry between the two leads. Even though Amy Adams could have solid chemistry with a flagpole, she works wonders with Matthew Goode. They spar and parry with each other all the while never being truly mean, trying to find some dignity in undignified situations. Matthew Goode has a Cary Grant style, devil may care charms as he tosses off line after line, most hitting the intended target. Simply put, they are a joy to watch together.

The cinematography of Ireland is stunning. We get every cliche of the island, from the hard breaking waves of the coastline to the lush green grasses of the countryside. The entire production is a picture perfect postcard of a tranquil land and it’s people.

Which brings up the secondary characters. They are from stock central but still work, all full of cute Irish charm and quirkiness. As they babble and prance around, one cannot help but fall in love with the rural people.

Leap Year is by no means a perfect motion picture. The film needed much more John Lithgow. He has only one little scene which he makes the most of. The film needed a larger cast of characters more fully developed. Also the role of Jeremy was just weak, trying to turn our odd man out into a bad guy. It is another cliché of the genre, but doesn’t work at all. It would have worked better if Anna had realized that Declan were the right guy and not that Jeremy was the wrong guy.

Leap Year is a fun diversion of a flick, not a great work of cinema. This is more of a film for Valentine’s Day, a couple movie for the romantically inclined. In the final analysis, it is like a bonbon, a slight little trifle that while never nutritious, is a little treat on a winter day.

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