Film Review: Music and Lyrics

Monday, February 19, 2007 - I always enjoy Hugh Grant in his movies. He just has that everyman personality as his life never works out quite right for him in any of his movies, and the delivery of his lines are near perfection, whether it's a bit of drama or a one-liner. Drew Barrymore I enjoy more the older she gets. As a child actress I found her annoyingly pretentious, but as an adult, she's a very warm personality. Seeing the previews the past month for Music and Lyrics, starring the two of them, I knew it was a movie I had to see, although I just couldn't imagine the two of them romantically entangled.

As the movie started, I was already laughing (and forgetting the couple that was sitting way too close to me). Grant plays Alex Fletcher, a member of an 80s musical group called Pop!, and while another member of the group has gone on to great success, he's performing the band's old hits at hotels, Knotts Berry's Farm and Adventureland. He declines the offer to appear on the show "Battle of the 80s Has-Beens," as he'd have to win the right to perform by boxing the other has-beens, yet he's sure in a battle he could take Flock of Seagulls. The videos of Pop supposedly performing in the 80s takes me back to my young adult years, with the black and white clothes and ridiculous hair. It appears that they're supposed to be like Wham!, and Fletcher is supposed to be the other guy, meaning Andrew Ridgeley, not George Michael.

Alex's manager, played by Brad Garrett, arranges for him an opportunity to write a song for currrent music sensation Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), yet he only has a few days to complete the task. He's a very talented writer of music, but needs the help of a good lyricist. He brings in a writer whose idea of lyrics is rhyming witches and bitches, and the substitute plant water-er, Sophie Fisher (Barrymore), innocently rattles off better lyrics than anyone else could have come up with.

The only reason Sophie knows who Pop! is, is that her older sister, Rhonda, played so well by Kristen Johnston that it makes me think she doesn't get enough work these days, was a huge fan in her younger days. Alex convinces Sophie to work with him to pen the song for Cora Corman, and they spend every minute of the next two days together writing. It's here I realize why I like Hugh Grant so much. He's people claustrophobic like I am, as he nearly breaks out into a sweat as Sophie pushes her chair really close to his piano, and he feels pinned in between her and the wall.

Music and Lyrics had many easy laughs. This isn't to say they were obvious, but just worked in so well that they were never forced. Everyone in the theatre laughed throughout, including my 10 year old daughter and the few guys in attendance, despite the fact this was an obvious chick flick. Except, of course for the lady sitting way too close to me as she laughed during every single moment, to the point I began to wonder if I was missing the joke, then realized it was just her.

Despite their age and cultural differences, Grant and Barrymore make a very convincing romantic pair. While she's warm and a little funny, he's funny and a little warm, and the two do quite well. And still I'm left wondering why Kristen Johnson isn't working more. The few episodes she was on of ER last year were not enough. We need to see more of her. The only question mark in this movie is listening to Grant sing, he sounds okay, but it's hard to believe he was ever a pop star. I'm confident he would have never made it past Randy Jackson, Paula Abdul, and Simon Cowell on American Idol. Despite this, when I got home, I downloaded the soundtrack on iTunes, as I couldn't get the Music and Lyrics out of my head.

Yuddy Score: A Yud