As if economic downturn and the confederacy of dunces at the top weren’t bad enough, Leap Year revives some horrors of old. Remember the crap Ireland from movies of yesteryear? Well, crap Ireland is back on screen and crapper than ever. Anand (Hilary & Jackie, When Did You Last See Your Father?) Tucker’s risible film offers the self-loathing Irish consumer a unique opportunity to experience a backward nation of drunken, superstitious morons, no infrastructure and cutesy-pie John Hinde landscapes. The plot is standard rom-com issue. Amy Adams travels to Ireland to propose to her fiancé but gets sidetracked by a rugged Irish barman (Englishman Matthew Goode) and subnormal natives who actually use the phrase ‘Top of the morning’. According to the film’s geography, we now think Dingle is located near Swansea.
For international audiences, this might look like third-rate Hollywood trash, on these shores it’s a prescription for anger, shame, shock, more anger and utter mystification. What the hell was Amy Adams thinking?
Ah, sure isn’t it always great to see the Irish up there on the silver screen? Bring back Flight of the Doves and be done with it.