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Sure, isn't it only a harmless bit of fun the way Irish people are almost always drunk, feckless, twee or thick in Hollywood movies? No it isn't writes DONALD CLARKE

NEXT WEEK, a romantic comedy entitled Leap Yearopens across the country. Such is the debased nature of that once-proud genre, you won’t be surprised to hear that the viewing experience is somewhat less delightful than shoving your face in a Sumo wrestler’s armpit. Leap Yearis, however, something quite special. The picture stars Amy Adams as an uptight New Yorker who, after hearing about an “ancient Irish custom”, travels to Dublin with the intention of proposing to her partner on February 29th. (Yeah, I know 2010 isn’t a leap year, but let’s just tackle one absurdity at a time.) Following a storm, she gets diverted to “Cardiff, Wales”, hops a boat to Dingle and attempts to make her way up country.