Whether you celebrate it as Valentine’s Day or “Singles Awareness Day,” you should consider including “Music and Lyrics” in your plans.
“Music and Lyrics,” starring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, is a romantic comedy in every way. It even has the whole “boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl back” thing going for it. But it’s got more than that. “Music and Lyrics” has something that makes it better than average.
Maybe it’s the plot. An aging and forgotten pop star named Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant), who was in a mega-popular boy band in the ’80s (think: Wham!), is commissioned by current pop diva Cora Corman (newcomer Haley Bennett) to write a duet for the two of them to perform at her next big concert in Madison Square Garden. The only problem is that Alex has never been great with lyrics.
Enter Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), who has been hired by Alex to water his plants. Naturally, she’s quirky to the point of being neurotic – but she also happens to have a way with words. Alex manages to put two and two together and, much to the chagrin of his manager (Brad Garrett), he hires Sophie to help him pen the new single. Hilarity and romance ensue.
Sounds pretty standard for a romantic comedy, right? Well, the film also provides a lot of social satire, which is definitely unheard of in the romantic comedy genre. Why make us think when they can just charm us with pratfalls and cheesy romantic situations, right? “Music and Lyrics” comments on America’s treatment of its former celebrities, subjecting them to degrading reality series such as “The Surreal Life” or “Celebrity Fit Club.”
In the film, Alex is asked to participate in a take-off of VH1’s “Celebreality” in the form of “Battle of the ’80s Has-Beens,” in which former musicians of the 1980s duke it out in a boxing ring to determine who will get to perform at the end of the episode. It’s demeaning and insulting, yet many former stars subject themselves to the treatment just to snatch at whatever vestige of fame they have left.
“Music and Lyrics” bravely makes this statement, along with mocking the current range of pop divas in music today. The character of Cora Corman is what you would get if you threw Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Shakira into a blender. “Music and Lyrics” mocks the pop-diva variety of music that lacks any soul or feeling in addition to taking shots at the celebrity practice of being “spiritual” instead of “religious.” It’s a bold statement to make, and it really works in the film’s favor.
But maybe what’s appealing about “Music and Lyrics” is its performances. Hugh Grant is perfect in the role of the aging pop star. His voice actually sounds spot-on for that particular sound of the 1980s. It’s easy to believe that he would have teen girls swooning over him.
Grant takes the role with ease, performing a perfect balancing act of being egotistical and charming at the same time. His character of Alex Fletcher is annoying toward the beginning of the film as his quick and clever one-liners fly fast and loose, but he eases up by the movie’s end, leaving audiences to wonder how they ever could have doubted him and knowing exactly why it is that he’s so lovable.
Drew Barrymore is equally appealing as lyricist Sophie Fisher. Like the Alex Fletcher character, Barrymore’s character is extremely irritating at first. She’s stereotypically quirky and neurotic. But once the film gets moving and the writers move past the first few bland meetings between the film’s two leads, Sophie Fisher turns into a moving, sympathetic, and even likable character.
Barrymore handles an at-times awkward subplot involving a famous ex-lover with more acting ability than many would give her credit for. While many of the leaps in Alex and Sophie’s relationship are thinly developed and illogical at best, Barrymore makes them work. What’s more, she makes those moments believable.
Brad Garrett of television’s “Everybody Loves Raymond” doesn’t really register as Alex Fletcher’s manager. The role really could have been played by anyone. Kristen Johnson is humorous enough as Sophie’s sister and Alex Fletcher’s biggest fan, Rhonda. But the real standout is Haley Bennett as pop star Cora Corman.
At first, Bennett’s performance seems wooden and amateur. But as her character is developed, so does Bennett’s performance. Bennett combines sex appeal and innocence in a role that is far more engaging than anything Britney Spears could do. It would not be surprising to see Bennett in more movie roles to come.
The performances in “Music and Lyrics” are almost as impressive as the music. It’s a sure bet that you’ll be humming at least one of the songs walking out of the theater. The songs performed in the film get stuck in your head for days, which is perfect for a film centered on music.
The addictive power of the songs is courtesy of Adam Schlesinger, who also wrote “That Thing You Do” for the 1996 film of the same name. If you think “That Thing You Do” was bouncing around your head for days, “Pop Goes My Heart” or “Way Back Into Love” could very well give it a run for its money.
“Music and Lyrics” is without question the best thing that writer and director Marc Lawrence has ever done. His past writing credits include both “Miss Congeniality” films, and his only directing experience before “Music and Lyrics” is the Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock film, “Two Weeks Notice.” Obviously, as evidenced by his bland and irritating past works, Lawrence has grown by leaps and bounds. No one will be more appreciative than chick-flick goers and romantic comedy lovers.
It’s really a combination of all of the above that makes “Music and Lyrics” so ridiculously charming. Despite its weaknesses, the film will entertain and charm you-which is probably more than can be said for your Valentine’s Day date.
