Music and Lyrics [Blu-ray]
First you’re hot, then you’re not…and then you’re Alex Fletcher (HUGH GRANT). So when the sizzlingest tween-queen on the charts asks the has-been ’80s pop sensation to write her a song, he grabs for another chance at stardom. Problem: Alex can say it with music, but he sure can’t say it with words. Enter Sophie Fisher (DREW BARRYMORE), his beguiling if quirky plant lady, who has a green thumb for lyrics. Together, they go after songwriting success — and discover that if you want to write the perfect love song, it helps to fall in love. With Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore at the keyboard and Marc Lawrence (Two Weeks Notice) directing, Music and Lyrics is a witty, wacky romantic comedy that faces the music…and laughs! Music and Lyrics is frothy and sweet, like the top of a perfect cappuccino shared a deux. Hugh Grant is a self-professed “happy has-been,” playing his befuddled, adorable persona more spot-on than he has since Four Weddings and a Funeral. As Alex, former member of an ’80s pop band who years later is playing at water parks and high school reunions, he’s settled into a life of lesser expectations. Drew Barrymore, quietly radiant, is Sophie, the underachieving girl Friday who arrives to water–make that overwater–Alex’s plants–and to explode him out of that comfy rut. If the plot’s a bit farfetched, it matters not, since the two lead characters are so likable–and make such beautiful music together. Big bonus: the supportive role of Kristen Johnston as Rhonda, Sophie’s older sis (and longtime Alex fan) whose hilarious performance threatens to steal the show whenever she’s onscreen. (The owner of a chain of successful weight-loss centers, Rhonda tries to comfort a rattled Sophie: “Want to do some stress eating?”) The film also marks the remarkable debut of Haley Bennett, who plays a pop star of Britney/Cristina proportions with deadpan sincerity radiating through her skimpy outfits and mega-extensions. As Alex and Sophie work on crafting musical magic, something else is taking hold. It’s music to the ears of anyone needing a sweet romantic comedy that hits all the right notes. –A.T. Hurley
User Ratings and Reviews
3 Stars Less than the best image quality
This is a great movie, but this DVD doesn’t make the movie look its best on my 52 inch LCD. It is pixelated and grainy when upconverted. Playing it at 480p improves the image, but it doesn’t compare to a lot of other DVDs that look flawless. If you have an HD TV and you love this movie, consider it in blu-ray (I assume it will look much better). I am a huge DVD fan, and I think they generally look wonderful on my big tv, so I was dissappointed with this one.
3 Stars Sadly pretty lousy
The Bottom Line:
Another film to be added to my burgeoning list of films that peak before 10 minutes have elapsed, (e.g. America’s Sweethearts, X-Men Origins: Wolverine) Music & Lyrics begins with a hilariously dead-on parody of 80s music videos but then devolves into a formulaic romance devoid of laughs or charms; I enjoy Hugh Grant a lot and wanted to like this movie, but couldn’t find much to appreciate, let alone treasure.
2/4
5 Stars I’m Glad This Movie POPped into My Life!
80’s POP sensation Alex Fletcher is comfortable being known as a ‘has-been’; after all, the pressure is off now! He’s no longer expected to produce anything and he can rest forever on his past achievements. Enter Sophie Fisher, the plant water-er and sometime lyricist. She accidentally reveals her talents to Alex as he tries to hammer out a new song for world-wide teenie-bopper sensation CORA (think Miley Cyrus in a thong). From here on, we can enjoy a typical Hugh Grant love story… a romantic comedy that does not disappoint, even for a few scenes.
Anyone who loves Hugh’s romantic comedies, I’m thinking NOTTING HILL and TWO WEEKS NOTICE, will be thrilled with this additional installment of the Hugh Grant Love Connection.
Quirky, sexy, funny and oh-so-loveable, come on in and have some Hugh on me. You’ll leave laughing.
Ellen C Maze, author Rabbit: Chasing Beth Rider
(vampire fiction for the discerning reader)
P.S. CORA uses Buddhistic teachings in her songs and employs a gigantic Buddha statue in her stage show, so just letting you know.
4 Stars An Enjoyable Movie
This is an enjoyable bit of fluff. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore play well off each other, and the has-been angle (he’s an 80’s pop-star faded into obscurity) is fun. The song (Pop Goes My Love) is actually quite infectious, too. You’ll find yourself humming it well after the movie is over.
5 Stars Romantic Comedy Masterpiece delivers ala it’s title
What a treat for anyone who likes good romantic comedies. I’m amazed at how the critics dismissed this movie - the standard compaint is that it’s predictable. Well in almost any romantic comedy, the end result is, of course, always predictable. But how the movie gets to that end result is what makes all the difference.
I call this movie a masterpiece because it completely delivers on what it’s title promises: MUSIC and LYRICS. Almost all the songs in this movie are really good, and perfectly fit into the story of this movie. Most other movies would have just stuck any ole songs into here. If the songs had been second rate, this would have been a second rate film.
Most of the killer songs were written by some guy named: Adam Schlesinger. If you check out his wiki page, he’s had quite an impressive career writing, you guessed it: Music & Lyrics.
Particularly of note: what bonehead decided against releasing the closing number, “Way Back Into Love”, as a single?
“Way Back Into Love” was #1 in Hong Kong, #5 in Japan & Singapore, #11 in S. Korea.
Shame on the stupid producers for wasting even one second making that ridiculous pop Parody included with the extras. The time and money flushed down the sewer on that lame & useless venture should have been saved for the investors. Instead they should just have had the screenwriters & songwriters do an audio comentary on how this movie came about.
Whoever made the decision to waste valuable resources on “Pop Goes My Heart”, should be blacklisted in Hollywood, and never allowed to work in the industry again.
Filed under: Blue Ray Movie Reviews