Leap Year Premieres, Beginning The Onslaught Of Valentine's Day RomComs

by Chiara Atik · January 7, 2010

"Leap Year", that charming film about a girl who gets this totally crazy idea of proposing to her boyfriend, premiered last night at the Directors Guild of America Theater. Romantic Comedies: whether you love them or you hate them, you're about to be hit with a slew of them this month.-

The plot of Leap Year seems a little trite, even for this genre. SHE wants to propose to HIM! And she goes to Ireland! And meets a wacky stranger who drives her CRAZY! But in a good way. Who will she ever end up with? Are you willing to pay the $12.50 to find out?

Jennifer Lopez said yesterday,

"People don't like shitty romantic comedies. Nothing that's shitty is going to make $100 million."

It is absolutely true that there's quite a steep difference between a good romantic comedy (say, Bridget Jones Diary, or 13 Going On 30) and terrible ones (The Wedding Date, Confessions Of A Shopaholic). Star power can pique people's interest in your film, but a quirky and likeable lead actress isn't enough to keep a movie afloat, and neither is a delightfully handsome and charming leading man.

Amy Adams does the requisite petulant American girl, with Matthew Goode playing the easy-going Welsh guy who shows her how to loosen up. We've seen this formula in play before--it's very familiar to the dynamic between Julianne Moore and Pierce Brosnan in Laws Of Attraction.

Adams and Goode will be competing with the star-studded cast of Valentine's Day (this year's He's Just Not That Into You--and that is NOT a compliment), Lopez's "The Back-Up Plan".

Guests at last night's premiere included Alan Cumming, Russell Simmons (ha! wonder what he thought of the movie?), Rob Thomas, Breckin Meyer, Jennifer Missoni, John Lithgow, and Gossip Girl's Dreama Walker.

Matthew Goode Alan Cumming