Customer Reviews

Music and Lyrics (Full Screen Edition)

5 star:		(107)
4 star:		(76)
3 star:		(35)
2 star:		(16)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Sure. Why not? The first question in assessing a movie's merit is does it do as intended?

With "Music and Lyrics," what it intends is nothing extraordinary. It aims to be a fun, romantic, sweet comedy of a man meeting a woman and falling in love, with a poke at pop culture. It accomplishes this. I saw this on February 14, Valentine's Day, and wanted exactly as delivered.

Paul McCartney asked in the 1970s what the world needs with another silly love song. "Music and Lyrics" is, in film, a silly love song.

Hugh Grant plays Alex Fletcher, a has-been pop singer from a defunct duo similar to Wham!, struggles to find his way as his audience stops caring. Realistic, he knows what he is capable of, but is unsure what his next step should be.

When Cora, a pretentious form of Britney Spears-Shakira-Christina Aguilera of sex-pop, offers him an opportunity to write a song, he runs into trouble. He is a melody man, not a lyricist. His lyricist from his old band, Pop!, is long gone.

In walks Sophie Fisher, played with charm by the ever-sweet Drew Barrymore. She's Alex's temporary plant watering person (and not a very good one), with a penchant for delivering peppy lyrics under her breath. Despite the scorn of fill-in wordsmith Greg Antonsky, Alex takes a liking to her style. Greg's angst-style, hopeless lyrics seem off kilter with Alex's personality.

Embittered from a broken affair with an engaged man, Sophie is uninterested. It is one thing to hum a tune, and it is another to commit to writing a song. However, Alex only has a few days and pressures (begs, really), Sophie to help.

She acquiesces, and tries to write. Alex and Sophie clash, as he understands the profession of music, and is desperate, and she is still stuck on the failed affair.

Both are living in the past, and both need to move up into 2007 to survive and thrive.

Finally, lyrics are written, and Cora loves them -- with a few changes. Cora's version is laced with faux spirituality and tramped-up seduction. Sophie's artistic sensibilities are insulted, and pulls the song much to Alex's chagrin. They argue, break-up, and now, Alex is stuck trying to fix a song.

Can he fix the song on time? Will they figure out how to live in the present day? What about love (this is a romantic comedy, remember?).

A fine self-mocking performance is put on by Kristen Johnston as Sophie's older sister Rhonda, making jabs at her own weight-loss campaign. Brad Garrett as Alex's agent Chris Riley is right on the money, as he is both a manager and friend.

Drew Barrymore shows she's more than the girl next door, but has a kind of Lucille Ball, Jenna Elfman, Meg Ryan mix going on.

Hugh Grant is perfectly cast, and is the better side of himself. He never overplays the role, and yet, does not fall into the 'stupid Englishman' persona he occasionally does.

I fully recommend "Music and Lyrics."

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

"Music and Lyrics" is a hoot: witty, bright, beautifully performed by the luminous Drew Barrymore (as ditzy, charming, beautiful Sophie Fletcher) and the dry of wit, Hugh Grant (as the less famous half, Alex Fletcher of a hot 80's duo, "Pop" obviously patterned after "WHAM") and briskly paced by director Marc Lawrence.
The story is light and airy: Fletcher needs help writing a song for a Britney clone, Cora. A song that could maybe bring him back to prominence after twenty years of playing store openings, amusement parks and nostalgia concerts. Sophie, though a partner with her sister in a Weight Loss clinic, is a whiz at writing pop lyrics: presto...match made in heaven!
The interplay between Barrymore and Grant is spot on and the dialogue and story are almost up to their excellent timing but they both work hard, though not too as that would negate the comedy, to make this work and in most scenes it does.
"Music and Lyrics" is as light as a crepe filled with caramelized bananas and topped with whipped cream and as such don't expect more from it than a huge smile and the delicious satisfaction that comes from eating something you have no business consuming.

Really good romantic comedies are few and far between. 'Music and Lyrics is one of the good ones! Reminiscent of 'The Wedding Singer' with it's parody of the 80's pop scene and also co-starring Drew Barrymore, this smart and funny film features a believable chemistry and relationship between the two leads and not too sappy an ending. The 80's in-jokes are clever and keep this movie from falling into the same traps most bad romantic comedies do. Hugh and Drew are as likable as they ever have been in this romantic musical comedy! The fact that they acually sing the songs in this film make it all the better.

This is a movie that you'll love forever. Hearing any snippet of the score will give you that happy, sappy feeling that only a great romantic comedy can.

Drew Barrymore is precious as only Drew Barrymore can be, and five minutes into the film I forgot that I never really considered myself a huge fan of Hugh Grant!

Music and Lyrics is everything that a romantic comedy is meant to be and then some. This DVD belongs in your collection!

From the opening credits, "Music and Lyrics" bounces along and for ninety minutes draws you in to what has to be one of the most charmingly appealing films of the last few years. Everything seems to work here beginning with the simple premise that a has-been songwriter is given a deadline of two days to write a new song for an up-and-coming pop queen...only to discover that he needs a lyricist. And boy, does he find one!

Hugh Grant plays Alex Fletcher, the aging star of the musical group "Pop". With that song deadline looming and down-and-out about his success in completing it on time, in walks Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore) to water his plants. What happens from here on out is pure magic as Alex discovers Sophie's natural talent with lyrics. The film sails along, never letting down, as they work together and discover each other.

I've seen "Music and Lyrics" twice and liked it even better the second time. The supporting cast with Brad Garrett as Alex's tortured manager, Kristen Johnston, as Sophie's neurotic-driven older sister and Haley Bennett as Cora Corman, the new pop sensation, are all terrific. The songs are evocative of another age and work well in support of the film. But it is really the chemistry between Grant and Barrymore that wins the viewer over. Perfectly cast, she plays foil to his gentle, persuasive humor and the end result is sheer joy. I highly recommend "Music and Lyrics". It's a refreshingly funny, witty and wonderful film.

The song that brings Sophie and Alex together sums up what the heart of the movie is about; Alex needs to love music again and Sophie needs to remember her love of the written word. Both characters have been burned by people who have used them for their talent to go onto become famous. In the course of rediscovering their passion, they discover a passion for each other too.
This is a sweet, cute film that highlights Drew Barrymore's and Hugh Grant's talents as romantic comedy stars.

If you've ever felt compelled to write a song, watch this movie for inspiration! I think this movie is charming. The storyline is quick and clean, the character play is funny, and the music is (sorry about this...) "catchy". After watching it, I found myself humming the tunes days later. Some movies I like to watch over and over and this is one of those.

Music and Lyrics, starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, is a decent romantic comedy with some very amusing scenes. As a product of 80's music, the obvious Wham bits, from silly videos to Grant playing the Andrew Ridgley part of a successful duo, was hilarious. Watching the movie, I was concerned initially about the chemistry between Grant and Barrymore, who have both been great with other supporting actors. They had a very smooth chemistry on the screen. Grant steals the show here with his acting and singing. The movie is somewhere in the middle of three and four stars, so I give it a solid 3.5 star rating. Not a bad way to spend an hour and a half.

As a side note, Hugh Grant does all of his own singing in the movie.

[...]

A date movie released on Valentine's Day has a lot to live up to. Despite the romantically uninspired title, MUSIC AND LYRICS luckily proves to be a very good date movie. After having now seen Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore together, I'll be clamoring for future cinematic team-ups by these two. Both actors play to their own strengths as well as effectively sparking a romantic chemistry. Hugh Grant is his usual wrily charming British person and once again fruitfully mines his wealth of self-deprecating humor, and Drew Barrymore is her normal sweetly engaging, klutzy goofball self. Surprisingly, Drew's adorable goofiness and Hugh's gently acerbic wit work well together. I fully expect MUSIC AND LYRICS to have a theater life long past Valentine's Day.

Now, the plot: Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) was the second banana in the popular 1980's band PoP! (comparisons to Wham! are inevitable). When the band disbanded, front man Colin (now Sir Colin) Thompson easily segued into a successful solo act, his first album comfortably selling 8 million copies. He even had his own cologne called A Whiff of Colin. Meanwhile, Alex's career plummeted as his dismal attempt at his own album ("Rhyme & No Reason") rapidly landed him in the Super Sale category of the music store. Alex was then reduced to ekeing out a livelihood by going on a back-alley circuit tour, performing at Knotts Berry Farm, Busch Gardens, the Hilton Hotel...Fifteen years later, nothing's changed except that his goal now is to get a musical gig at Disneyland and that, now, he's fielding offers of participating in a boxing reality show called Battle of the '80s Has-Beens ("That Debbie Gibson can take a punch, huh?"). All in all, he's settled into a somewhat graceful acceptance that his better days are now viewed in the rearview mirror.

But Alex's luck seems to change for the better when sexy pop megastar Cora Corman (Haley Bennett, who effectively channels Britney, Christina, and even Shakira) offers him a songwriting gig, providing he could craft one within the next few days. The cherry on top is that if Cora likes the song, Alex'll perform it with her live in a Madison Square Garden concert. If his song sucks, well, there are offerings by eight other has-beens from which she could pick. The dilemma here is that writing song lyrics has never been Alex's cup of tea, having once rhymed "you and me" with "autopsy."

Then into his life steps Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), his temporary waterer of plants. Sophie, upon their initial meeting, proves to be decidedly quirky. His manager Chris (Brad Garrett) advises Alex to not give her a key. But it doesn't take long for Alex to realize that Sophie actually has a talent for songwriting, and he doesn't waste time in trying to convince her to work with him on Cora's song (he describes her as "Cole Porter in panties"). She's at first resistant but, of course, is soon convinced. Despite her personal baggages and his non-talent for lyrics and stuck-in-a-rut sensibilities, they look to be a promising writing team. But then they fall in love...

Sometimes you wonder why certain pairings work and others don't. Hugh Grant with Sandra Bullock in TWO WEEKS' NOTICE was a disaster. My take on that is that Sandra Bullock seemed to try too hard (plus, it's never very romantic to give the female lead a case of constipation on the freeway, or anywhere else, for that matter). Drew Barrymore, on the other hand, has a very natural style. In her films, she hardly ever looks contrived. Her rapport with Hugh Grant looks effortless. The playful give and take between the two are worth the price of admission. Another factor in the fun is Grant's musical numbers, complete with hip thrusts and other sundry undulations. He does his own singing, as well, and, while he's not about to knock anyone's socks off with his vocal talents, he doesn't exactly suck. In fact, his heartfelt performance of "Don't Write Me Off" almost brought a lump to my throat, before I remembered I was a guy and should act like one. But, well done to Hugh, who I felt mustered every ounce of effort and sincerity into his singing. Vastly enjoyable also is the film's hilarious opening video clip of PoP!'s signature hit song "Pop! Goes My Heart," which perfectly captures the standard 1980s music video. "Meaningless Kiss" is very reminiscent of George Michael's tune "Careless Whispers," a song of George's that I quite liked. Even "Way Back Into Love," the song title Alex was hired to write lyrics around, never got old, even with its endless callbacks. As a sidenote, I prefer his duet with Drew much more than his with Haley Bennett (Cora).

The supporting cast is very good. Sophie's older sister Rhonda (Kristen Johnston) makes the most of her role as the still Alex Fletcher-smitten baby boomer. Just about every scene with her is a highlight. Campbell Scott as the dastardly Sloan Cates has a brief appearance but is cold-heartedly effective in that tiny nugget of time. Young pop diva Cora Corman, seeking Eastern enlightenment seemingly thru the path of righteous booty shaking, is played by Haley Bennett with an airheaded yet sensual flair. Brad Garrett, unfortunately, is wasted here as he's stuck playing the straight man role. In real life, he's way funnier than that.

I have no qualms giving five stars to this film, having had such a devastatingly good time watching it. While MUSIC AND LYRICS doesn't have groundbreaking material, it does what it sets out to do, which is to be a sweet and uncomplicated romantic comedy. If you're in the mood for something light and consistently amusing, with two leads who'll reward you with their easy charm and charisma, and if you get a kick out of retro songs and scenes of Hugh Grant gyrating in tight pants, then this one just might be for you.

Since I complained that neither my wife nor I were reduced to tears by the end game of "Catch and Release," our previous romantic comedy, I can tell you right off the bat that we both cried at the appropriate moment in "Music and Lyrics," which is reason enough to round up on this early 2007 film. But writer-director Marc Lawrence (who scripted both of the "Miss Congeniality" movies) knows that the climax of a good romantic comedy requires a grand gesture of love. We know this not only because he provides one, but also because he sets it up by having a character point out the way you know when somebody is the one for you is when they do something that illustrates passion.

You have to think that Hugh Grant's funny dance through 10 Downing Street in "Love Actually" was an implicit audition for his role here as Alex Fletcher, the keyboard player and composer from the 70's hit group Pop, and if you are looking for a parallel in real world music history I would say think Andrew Ridgeley after George Michaels went solo and you are in the ballpark. We are introduced to Pop at the height of their popularity and the music video of their signature song "Pop Goes My Heart," where Alex and his Colin Thompson (Scott Porter) cavort in post-disco glam pop style. But that was then and now Alex is being courted for an episode of "Battle of the 70's Has-Beens," while Colin is a successful solo act (another reason I round up on this movie is that it refrains from Alex ever meeting Colin, which is a tired cliche in such films). Then Alex has a meet with Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), the pop diva of the moment, who wants him to write a new duet and do it by the end of the week. However, Alex does music but not lyrics, as evidenced by his unsuccessful solo album and has not bothered to find another lyricist to work with since Colin broke up the band.

Alex's agent, Chris Riley (Brad Garrett), finds a lyricist but clearly it is not going to work. The day is saved by the serendipity that Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), who is substituting for the usual person who comes in and waters his plants, is apparently a natural lyricist. All that have to do is write a hit song by Friday and not fall for each other in the process. Of course they will get things half right, which is exactly how we want things to play out. Fortunately the songs by both Lawrence and songwriter Adam Schlesinger make it easy to believe Sophie and Alex could write beautiful music together. This will bring us to the inevitable bump in the road when Sophie discovers that the commercial aspects of songwriting are not as much fun as the creative aspects. Sophie has here own more recent past in that her last boy friend, Sloan Cates (Campbell Scott), was inspired by her to make Sophie the title character of a best selling novel that has made him rich and famous while leaving her with a scarred psyche and a fragile ego.

As always Barrymore is cute and sweet, continuing to establish herself as the queen of current romantic comedy even when her co-star is not Adam Sandler (who would have thought they would be the best romantic couple of the decade?). She also plays it straight while Grant, who not only can sing to go along with the aforementioned dancing, but also gets most of the laughs with his sense of self-parody and superb comic timing, which reminds me to point out that another reason for rounding up on "Music and Lyrics" is that this movie made us laugh out loud (intentionally, no less), than any film we have seen in the last year. I also like that twice I was convinced that Alex was about to sing a song that he had written setting Sophie's college poems to music, but both times I was wrong and both times Lawrence (despite spelling his name funny) came up with something better (not to mention a nice homage to "Singing in the Rain"). There are just so many things working for "Music and Lyrics" that the rough spots here and there fade into insignificance by the time the final credits roll. Speaking of which, be sure to watch the first half of the end credits where we get to watch the film's opening music video again, but this time given the "pop up" treatment that provides the film's final gaggle of gags.