Review of Music and Lyrics
Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore Star in this Tuneful Romantic Comedy
Jun 23, 2009
In Music and Lyrics, Hugh Grant plays Alex Fletcher, a washed-up eighties pop idol now scraping by performing his old hits at reunions and state fairs. But even these bookings are drying up. When Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), the biggest teen star of the moment, unexpectedly asks him to write a song for her new album, it seems like his luck might be changing. The catch? The song has to be finished by the end of the week, and Alex has never been able to write anything with anyone except his ex-band mate (and now arch enemy) Colin.
When quirky Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore) temporarily comes to water Alex’s plants, he discovers she has a way with words. However, a messy relationship with Sloan Cates, her sleazeball writing class teacher, has made her shy away from writing anything longer than slogans for the weight reduction company run by her sister Rhonda (Kristen Johnson).
Alex finally persuades Sophie to toss some ideas around with him, but after an argument, following which Sophie walks out – and a last-minute demand from Cora to add another verse to the song – it looks like Alex will lose the job after all. Can he get Sophie to come back in time or will his career die the same slow death as his over-watered plants?
Movie Contains Genuinely Funny Lines
There are few surprises in this movie’s plot and it is quickly obvious where the story will end up. Nevertheless, it is an entertaining ride getting there. This is in large part due to the fact that the movie contains some genuinely funny lines and witty banter between several of the characters.
Another element in the movie’s favor is the fun the actors seem to be having. Grant, in particular, loses some of his (often toe-curling) stiffness and throws himself into the dated eighties ballads and patented hip moves that made his character famous 15 years previously (Grant and Barrymore both did their own vocals). The rest of the cast also appears to revel in what is essentially a satire of the music business and the transiency of fame.
Catchy Songs Add Credibility
The music, which plays a central role, is also unexpectedly good: the songs are catchy and one could actually imagine hearing them in the charts (or on an eighties compilation in Alex’s case). Music and Lyrics does not break any new ground but it does hit more right notes than the majority of romantic comedies out there.
Music and Lyrics is available on DVD on Amazon.com.
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