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Music and Lyrics (PG)





Release Date: February 14th, 2007 by Warner Brothers Pictures.
The Cast: Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Kristen Johnston, Campbell Scott, Haley Bennett.
Directed by Marc Lawrence.

BASIC PREMISE: Alex Fletcher (Grant), a washed-up 80’s pop star, falls in love with Sophie (Barrymore) while they compose a hit song together.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: After Catch and Release and Because I Said So, comes Music and Lyrics, another bland, contrived and formulaic romantic comedy that’s low on romance and lacking in real comedy. Hugh Grant plays another self-absorbed, shallow character, Alex, who uses his charms to get closer to a Sophie, a woman who waters his plants. Soon enough, she helps him to compose a new song for a Britney Spears-like singer (Bennett). It’s not quite clear what attracts Alex and Sophie to begin with other than that the plot requires it. Alex doesn’t even seem like he was ever a really famous pop star—maybe an amateur one at best, like in the lively yet silly music video with him in the opening scene. Sophie never comes to life either despite Barrymore’s attempts to add to some charm. The real scene-stealer here is Kristen Johnston, who gives a delightfully hilarious performance as Sophie’s older sister, Rhonda. Unfortunately, writer/director Marc Lawrence fails to add any witty or memorable lines, too many attempts at humor fall flat from blandness, and a few scenes tend to drag, also from blandness. At least he doesn’t resort to potty humor. It’s also worth mentioning the lively soundtrack with tuneful songs. However, watching Music and Lyrics ultimately makes you yearn for much better movies with Drew Barrymore, like The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates, or with Hugh Grant, like Four Weddings and a Funeral and Love Actually. All of those films lived up to their classification as a “romantic comedy” in the strictest sense of those words.

SPIRITUAL VALUE: Unfortunately, none.

INSULT TO YOUR INTELLIGENCE: Bland and contrived.

NUMBER OF TIMES I CHECKED MY WATCH: 6

IN A NUTSHELL: Lively music, but often bland, contrived and ultimately forgettable.

RECOMMENDED WAY TO WATCH: DVD


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