Talking Pictures

Up front I need to say every “chick flick” is a formula, but it is how that formula is used that can make or break a romantic film.

Last year Sandra Bullock starred in two – “The Proposal,” which was widely acclaimed and “All About Steve” which was widely panned.

In the new film “Leap Year” we find Amy Adams lathering about how her boyfriend of 4 years hasn’t proposed. So now she’s going to Ireland, where he’s at a medical convention, to pop the question herself. It seems in Ireland, a woman can propose marriage on February 29^th (Leap Year).

Ok that’s the set up and now comes the hook. Due to bad weather Adams is forced to take a cab ride to Dublin from some rural city. Her cabbie is a young, carefree, individualist who is rough around the edges, etc, etc, etc.

And that’s the story. Unfortunately, the story is told in such a bland and flat manner that the audience simply doesn’t care. The humor is strained, the dialogue isn’t fresh and zany comedy just isn’t zany enough.

Leap Year just isn’t good enough for the cast, especially Amy Adams who is a marvelous actress (check out Sunshine Cleaning). She almost looks as if she’s in pain as she gallivants around the Emerald Isle trading silly barbs with Matthew Goode (who looks like a young Hugh Jackman) on her way to propose to her boyfriend.

Leap Year ends up a convoluted and pedestrian mess. It deserves a D and is rated PG for sensuality and language.

I love a good nail-biter and Law Abiding Citizen is one of those cat & mouse thrillers that really delivers. Both Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler are extremely watchable.

Foxx as the up and coming attorney too busy to fight for his client because a loss in the courtroom would devalue his record of wins.

And Butler as the guy who has suffered the brutal loss of this family looking for justice and finding his lawyer has traded it away for a reduced sentence.

Then all hell breaks lose as Butler begins his well thought out and timed revenge.

Yes there are some problems with the plot, but very minor ones that won’t pull you out of the action.

Law Abiding Citizen gets a B+ and is rated R for strong bloody brutal violence, torture, a scene of rape and pervasive language.