Reviews

Watching this movie, I couldn't get pass the 25 minute mark. I'm being generous because if I had read the script it wouldn't have passed the 15 page test. To be fair, there "is" a movie here, but once you edit out all the "redundant, unnecesarry, and superfluous" scenes, it's a short. However, it's a short I'd like to see. Keep the doctor scene at the beginning, maybe even start with it, as it's the best example of really good writing and acting - one that moves the story forward - from what little I could see. Rule of thumb, never tell the audience what they already know and never tell an audience what they already know.

The film could have worked if it about the son from the very beginning and told through "his" eyes, not through the eyes of the big star playing his dad.

I'm confused who is the music composer for this film which lists only "Music Department" credits when it's obvious that we hear at times Bernard Herrmann's "Vertigo" score? Why isn't he listed and given credit?

"Protagonist Forrest Tucker (Robert Redford) robs banks!" Great, but why does he "need" to rob banks? We know he can't "stop" robbing banks, but why does he "need" to rob banks? We, the audience, never learn why. And whenever I hear a character - "any" character in "any" scene - make a joke followed by saying "I'm just kidding" or "I was only joking," well, then, you've just ended the scene - it fell flat on its face and you've got nowhere else to go! This happened 2 or 3 times. Plus, there's a montage 10 minutes before the end of the film that doesn't work. That montage could and should be cut into the beginning of the film. And why shy away from showing any real affection between the two lead characters? There's one single, little peck of a kiss. What, older people aren't passionate, don't share intimacies between one another, kiss, and have sex? Pla-leeze!

It's bad enough Mia Farrow was snubbed by the Academy for Rosemary's Baby, but she should have won an Oscar for her performance in this. Dustin Hoffman is in full "Graduate" and "Midnight Cowboy" form but this is clearly Mia's movie. This film is an absolute gem! Peter Yates pulled off another great film and one which would never be made today - it's too character driven and nuanced - not enough happens - for Hollywood today. But oh, so much happens between the lines. There are voice-overs of Dustin and Mia's character's thoughts - which totally work - but because of the quality of the their performances, could easily have been eliminated.

"Leap Year" is simple, albeit brilliant filmmaking. There is very little, if any, "coverage" for each and every shot. No close-ups, no pans, no dolly shots, no cranes, no over-the-shoulder, and no reaction shots. The camera remains still and static throughout - time and time again simply letting the drama unfold before our eyes. We are nothing more than a voyeur. It's a bold choice - perhaps born out of budget necessity - but it nonetheless works. What's makes every shot absolutely fascinating is called "life." Human behavior. The success of this film is a tribute to the director, his belief in the story, and most of all, the trust he was able to get from his actors. Although the camera rarely moves, it tells the story better than most Hollywood directors with a much bigger budget ever could.