Movie Review: Leap Year

In general, I prefer to read romance and watch horror, but I can also be down with watching a good romantic comedy (though I often find romance to be better in my head). So I took a break from reading and watched the movie Leap Year, because it was on Netflix and because it looked interesting. Also…Ireland.

One-Sentence Synopsis
A house stager follows her boyfriend to Dublin in hopes of proposing to him on February 29, a tradition she learned about from her father that’s “guaranteed” to lead to an engagement. For a full synopsis, see this movie’s IMDB page.

The Good Stuff
I love movies set in Ireland. They have pretty scenery and I love the Irish accent.

This movie is pretty much a Murphy’s Law cautionary tale, as everything that can go wrong for Anna does go wrong, leading to some pretty funny moments, my favorite being a flying shoe incident at an Irish wedding reception.

There are also two Irish men in the first town she ends up at whose banter and arguing about Irish superstitions cracked me up.

Things That Made Me Go Hmmm
I generally like Amy Adams, so I don’t know if it was her or how the character was written, but Anna was a pretty horrible character. She’s uptight (she has reasons, but meh), she’s rude, and she’s kind of dumb. The woman tries to hike up a hill in high heels and “demands” to be flown to Dublin regardless of the fact that all flights are closed due to weather. So annoying.

I also wasn’t sold on the whole Leap Year proposal thing. It might be romantic to some people, but I thought it was dumb. It was a story her father told her, and in the course of the movie, we find that her father wasn’t really that smart or trustworthy. Plus, it bothered me that she didn’t think she could propose anywhere and that she seemed to have a one track mind about the whole engagement thing in the first place.

The Romance Factor
Because Anna was so annoying, I had a hard time feeling the chemistry between her and Declan. She had no redeeming qualities, so it felt weird that Declan started to have feelings for her. This is generally why I prefer books. I need some insight. Having said that, the end was sweet, even if it was expected, and Declan was adorably snarky. 3/5

The Steam Factor
Except for a scene where Declan walks in on Anna in her bra and underwear and an awkward “we can share this bed” scene, this was a tame movie. No sexy times to be had. 1/5

Final Thoughts
It’s hard to like a movie when the main character sucks, but even though I didn’t like her, I still enjoyed the film to an extent. I don’t know that I’d watch it again, but because the side characters and Declan were so entertaining, it definitely wasn’t a waste of an hour and a half.

Goodreads Review: Adapted for Film by Stacey Rourke

I have two other blog drafts waiting in the wings, but they’re not quite polished and one is a little bit heavy, so I’ve been sticking to book reviews, which are way more fun. Plus, I’ve been embracing the fact that I’m an unashamed romance reader. This was a quick read and a good palate cleanser from some of the heavier/steamier books I’ve been reading lately. It’s fun but not super scandalous. 

Adapted For Film by Stacey Rourke

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aubrey Evans is on set for the making of the movie based on her romance novel, but she finds herself clashing with the director, Kole Camden. Though they manage to put their differences aside, the studio thinks that the best way to avoid the bad press that has already leaked is to manufacture a relationship between Audrey and the actor playing the lead role, Greyson Meyers. While it seems innocent at first, Aubrey is unable to stop the studio from taking it to further levels, and things get only more complicated when she realizes that though Greyson is hot and fairly unrelenting of his flirting, there’s something brewing between her and Kole.

The plot was your typical, fluffy romantic comedy and made for a perfect popcorn read. It didn’t drag at all. On the contrary, the clever dialogue kept the story going. I don’t think I’ve read the author/director/actor triangle before, so that part was fresh, but part of my love for romantic comedies is the comfort of familiarity and the promise of a happy ending.

Rourke’s characters in this book were fun and quirky. Aubrey is icy but clever and snarky. I love snark. Kole is funny but strangely awkward. There’s one scene in which he admits his jokes don’t always work out (it’s a funny scene involving a feather duster) and he endeared himself to me. Greyson is over the top flirty but somehow he never gets annoying. My favorite though was Mateo, the Cuban hip-hop star playing one of side characters in the movie. He reminded me of Pit Bull and cracked me up.

The Romance Factor was there, but it was fairly light. There wasn’t a lot of foreplay between the main characters. Even they don’t seem to realize there’s something there until later in the book. At the same time, because I knew there was romance waiting in the wings, it still read like a romantic comedy.

The Sex Factor was super low. The book is easily PG with one scene maybe edging up to PG-13. Maybe. I like some steam, but it’s not a deal breaker, so those romance readers who aren’t so much into the dirty stuff are likely to appreciate the tame nature of this one.

This was a fun, well-written read that gives me faith I’ll enjoy the other books by this author. If she comes out with any other rom-coms, I’m pretty sure I’ll be grabbing them. Now I just need to get in the mindset to read her other series.

View all my reviews