The Leap Years: A Long Yawn

Written by Julia Lua

If one could have leapt through the movie scenes in The Leap Years, one would have willingly done so, if for no other reason than to initiate a forceful change in the slow, dwindling pace of the movie. Slated for release two years ago, but kept on hold to be well-timed with the leap year in 2008, this long-awaited film, much to Hooked's chagrin, wasn't worth waiting for.         Based on Catherine Lim's novella, this movie, which opened island-wide on 29th February, initially seemed promising enough to become a box office hit. And quite possibly, it could have been a shoo-in for an obscure, foreign independent film award.         Indeed, casting Wong Li-Lin as the sassy and smart protagonist, bringing in foreign talent Joan Chen as the older Li-Ann, using quintessential Chinatown and Fullerton as backdrops and infusing bits of hilarious Cantonese dialogues appeared to be ingredients to a potentially winning or at the very least, pleasant formula concocted by director Jean Yeo.         However, the yawn-inducing theatrics in the film and unnecessarily delayed pace of progress in the storyline effectively managed to undo all the good that went into it.          On February 29, bright and spirited Li-Ann chances upon Jeremy fiddling with windmills at Window's Café.         Emotions overwhelm her as she somehow realizes that he is the ‘blue and blurry' lover of her very imaginative mind. An epiphany of sorts happens and she writes a note asking for a date, while hidden from view by toy windmills (and more windmills) sticking out from a push-cart newspaper store.         As fate would have it, after their first chance encounter, the lovers get their lives inter-twined every Leap Year, tantamount to more and more heartbreaks that would be inconceivable to less idealistic females.         The transition from one Leap Year to another was undeniably long, but not long enough to redeem the drearily languid one-liners spouted by the characters. Barely three-quarters into the movie, you would have started to pray for the credits to roll, silently chiding your own willingness to fall prey to the shrewd marketing gimmicks that raised awareness and created anticipation of the movie.         Going by the standards (or lack thereof) of local actresses, Li-Lin is probably the most suited candidate to master the role of brave heroine Li-Ann. She falls perfectly into character with her crisp enunciation of words and masterful acting.         But why oh why did they make the multi-talented starlet give a cringe-worthy smile to Jeremy's outstretched hands and later in the film, squirm awkwardly when she did her parody of his outstretched hands?         The movie might have been better appreciated if the characters indulged in sophisticated talk (as opposed to girl talk in the film) and a few rapid-fire exchanges transpired between the leads, as is commonplace in stereotypical but still well-appreciated romantic comedies. Mature themes could provide the much needed depth for this film, making the romance between Li-Ann and Jeremy come alive.          Sadly enough, the only seeming gain from watching the movie was a chance to re-visit iconic sites of Singapore on screen and exchange knowing looks of I-have-been-there with the other cinema-goers.         If anything, The Leap Years may very well mark the beginning of a slew of local (non-Jack Neo directed) mass-commercialized English-speaking movies, although Hooked sincerely hopes that these future movies would learn the mistakes from this predecessor of theirs. HOOKED Pictures courtesy of: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/ http://www.cathay.com.sg/ Comments Write Comment Name: Guest Title: Comment:

 

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