Leap Year --Good Movie with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode

Leap Year is now on DVD and HBO with Amy Adams and Matthew Goode in leading roles.

The last time I fell totally in love with a movie as much as I have Leap Year it was The Phantom the Opera. (As some of my friends remember, I fell totally in love with Gerard Butler too, but that's another story.)

I LOVE this movie. I might have set a world record in how many times I've seen it. Every time I see it, I still enjoy it. It's cute and funny but often serious and sensitive.

It's a "feel-good movie." I know it might be classified as a romantic comedy and a chick flick. But it's a genuine, enjoyable entertainment. The plot goes much deeper than just a formula romance.

Amy Adams is always good. She put in a perfect performance and made the movie into a worthwhile & mainstream movie.(Amy Adams could be in a movie about dead mice and still be great.)

Adam Scott was good playing the rather bland boyfriend...I mean that's what he was supposed to be and did it well.

I haven't seen any of Matthew Goode's other movies yet, but all I can say based on Leap Year is that Matthew Goode is an AMAZING actor.

I fell in-love with his character Declan O'Callaghan Matthew created. Matthew is a creative genius. What makes him even more amazing is the fact that he completely submerged himself into Declan O'Callaghan. I couldn't find any resemblance whatsoever between the character and the actor.

Declan is a scruffy, obnoxious, quiet man with an Irish accent. I was surprised to see Matthew is a young, clean cut, witty, Englishman (and a bit stuck on himself in my opinion.) He acting such a feat of magic, a conjuring trick, he completely submerged himself into the character. (Even with 300 I could still see Gerry Butler inside that costume.)

I think the story is best revealed in the facial expressions, so watch carefully. Matthew Goode is excellent in conveying so much more than expected with a look and body language.

One of the most important keys to the story is what happens in the B & B. If you decide it's "yes" the rest of the movie and the interplay between the characters makes absolute sense. If you think it's "no" then watch it again assuming you're wrong, and you'll see what I mean. Many things after that become clear.(I have a list of 38 "hints" that support a "yes" decision on my other blog Advising Myself.) An example of how good Goode is at conveying what's really going on between the main characters, watch his expression in the scene on the bridge when Declan says, "Apparently not" and first looks towards Anna and then directly at her. He's saying so much more than "apparently not."

I can't really say anymore without giving it all away. (Well, we know a romance has a happy ending, the enjoyment is seeing just how that unfolds. In this case, I think the romance is done with a reverse plot--a man is waiting for a girl to grown up and take things seriously, rather than the typical plot of the girl waiting for a guy to come to his senses. Very innovative.)

If you are good at reading hidden clues and facial expressions, you are going to like this movie. It's well written with good direction as well as being extremely well acted. Director: Anand Tucker and Writers: Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 9 (less than a 10 because of some cutting/editing problems that aren't that noticeable.)