Music and Lyrics appeared on my Netflix queue for two reasons and two reasons alone: Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore. I really love both actors. Hugh Grant has only ever played foppishly charming or charmingly cad, but he's managed to charm the socks off me almost every time. Plus - wait for it - he's a fine, fine man with an accent to boot! Drew Barrymore is simply a good actress, though I enjoy her most often in comedies, when her natural exuberance kind of shines through. I didn't have very high expectations for this film, though, because it's one of those romcoms or chick flicks (and I'm the chick who doesn't always like chick flicks). I merely thought it would be a nice, mindless movie to watch and enjoy, pleasant to the eye and ear if nothing else.
In reality, and maybe I just feel this way because I had such low expectations going in, this film is surprisingly clever. It most definitely has its clunky points, and it's predictable and modestly formulaic, as all films of this genre are, but it has some unique qualities too, not the least of which is that it's actually funny.
Alex Fletcher (Grant) is a washed-up 80's icon from fictitious group Pop!, a throwback to Wham! with a little Duran Duran thrown in for good measure. They hit it big in the 80s, until the band's manager convinced Alex's other half, Colin, that he was the true star of the group, at which point he departed for greener pastures. Alex was left in has-beensville until the wave of 80's nostalgia overtook the country in this decade. Now, he makes his living playing to state fairs and amusement parks - that is, until his manager (Brad Garrett) clues him into Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), a satirical mishmash of every pop tart of the here and now from Britney to Christina to Jessica/Ashley, who is looking to record a new song with a "retro" singer to spice up her new "spiritually aware" album. She's offered the opportunity to several artists with the intention of picking the one she likes. Alex is keen to do it, except for one small problem: he has a gift for melody but has never written a lick of lyrics. Fortunately, he encounters Sophie Fisher (Barrymore), the substitute "plant girl" (apparently, washed-up 80's icons hire people to water their plants), who has an uncanny gift for writing meaningful yet catchy lyrics, unbeknownst to her. Alex convinces Sophie to partner up with him, which she does, though she is hesitant due to her recent breakup/emotional baggage caused by ex-professor and ex-boyfriend Sloan Cates (Campbell Scott), who wrote a novel about an emotionally damaged girl based largely on her. Not to mention the fact that Sophie's sister Rhonda (Kristen Johnston) is a huge Pop! fan. Yet, each composer's weaknesses, and their natural chemistry, makes for some solid gold writing, and some solid foundation for the inevitable romance that develops.
Like I indicated earlier , I wasn't expecting to like this movie as much as I did, but the film is, surprise of surprises, quite witty and clever. Hugh Grant is pitch-perfect as Alex. He is smart, funny, and charmingly self-deprecating, as only Hugh Grant can be, and he has a passable singing voice. The film opens with the music video to Pop's big hit, and it is absolutely hilarious how satirically nostalgiac it is, not to mention Grant's turns at Pop's "signature" dance moves. In fact, I think Hugh Grant is really the center of this film. Not to say that Drew didn't do a good job and was especially appealing and likable as Sophie, because she was, but the biggest laughs came as a result, or at the expense, of Alex and his rapid-fire witticisms and/or his musical efforts.
The songs are quite good too; they're catchy and cute. The opening video had me from it's first synthesized note and precisely coiffed new wave Brit-band salute, but it was also clever how the video appeared again during the closing credits as a "pop-up" video, to talk about where Alex and Colin are now.
Hugh and Drew had on-screen chemistry, though I detected that it took some time for them to be comfortable with it. I could tell, in the opening scenes of the movie, that this chemistry was not natural or comfortable when these two actors began filming. I get the sense that they had to work at it a little, and they did, because they seemed to fit together much better by the inevitable happy ending. I think their chemistry worked best in the scenes that took on some aspects of screwball comedy, such as in Alex's apartment, when they were being kind of ridiculous while volleying witty remarks to each other in rapid succession.
Also, some of the plot points were clearly contrived, even if they were meant to be funny. I have never heard of a professional plant-waterer, and even if there are such people, I find it very surprising that a has-been 80's pop idol would find the extra funding to pay someone to do such a thing. Though Sophie's knack for killing the plants was quite hilarious.
Furthermore, I didn't really buy the whole Sophie-has-emotional-baggage deal. I suppose I would be traumatized by someone writing about me in a less than positive light, but to have it interfere with a potentially wonderful opportunity to co-write a song for a pop sensation, making money and schmoozing with a cute British guy in the process? The screenwriters were clearly trying to jimmy an antagonist source into the plot that wasn't quite believable. Of course, what more can be expected in a formulaic (even if quirky) genre movie?
Still, I enjoyed Music and Lyrics in spite of myself and my initial expectations, and for me, with this particular genre, that's saying something. I give this movie a 7 for being shaky but still entertaining. I also think it might pass the test. I'm telling you, the fake music video alone is worth five bucks, but the fact that the movie actually made me laugh in a heartfelt way caught me off guard. My favorite lines/scene was when Sophie makes a crack about Alex's pants being consistently too tight, and he, in stride, remarks with mock, Hugh Grant-type humility: "They cut off the circulation to my legs and make the blood rush to my heart." Trust me, it's funnier when he says it. In any event, give this movie a try. It might put a song in your heart (whether or not you're wearing tight pants).