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Music and Lyrics
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Directed by Marc Lawrence.
A professional collaboration between a popular lyricist and a washed-up musician takes a decidedly personal turn as the pair gradually finds their relationship developing into something much deeper in a romantic comedy directed by Marc Lawrence and starring Drew Barrymore and Hugh Grant. Alex Fletcher (Grant) may have been all the rage in the 1980s, but these days he's lucky to get a gig playing at the local county fair. Just when it seems as if things couldn't get any more bleak for the dejected has-been rocker, reigning pop diva Cora Corman (Haley Bennett) offers Alex the opportunity of a lifetime -- write and record a duet to be sung with her and watch his career receive a much-needed boost as the nostalgia-crazed public laps it up. Little does Cora realize that not only has it been years since Alex has written a song, but he's never actually written a single lyric. Now, if he hopes to make the comeback needed to save him from a life of complete and utter obscurity, Alex will have to craft a radio-friendly hit in a matter of mere days. Luckily for Alex, his quirky plant-keeper Sophie Fisher (Barrymore) has quite a way with words and may possess just the kind of songwriting talent needed to make such a hit happen. Unfortunately the beguiling Sophie is still reeling from a recent break-up with newly famous novelist Sloan Cates (Campbell Scott), and she isn't quite sure if she's ready for any kind of collaboration right now -- romantic or otherwise. Despite Alex's hesitation to commit and Sophie's reluctance to collaborate, the pair quickly discovers that a little chemistry can go a long way in healing the wounds of the past and laying the foundation for a much-deserved future of happiness and success. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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pippin06pippin06 Music and Lyrics Can Be Surpris ...
by pippin06 in Reel Thoughts
liked it.
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"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 ... " [More]
fb2fb2 Music And Lyrics
by fb2 in FB2 Movie Blog
lost interest.
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"Why is it that all these "romantic comedy" movies follow the exact same script? The plot is painfully obvious, with completely cardboard characters, everything is dumbed down for a retarted audience.I did like the really funny (and catchy!) songs performed by the cast, written by the Fountains of Wayne guys. " [More]
RisseladaRisselada Re: Top 5 Movie To Suprise You ...
by Risselada in Top 5
hasn't rated it.
"I LOVE Henry Fool and Delicatessen. Looks like I'm going to have to check out Birthday Girl since you have it in a list with them. Although honestly I just glimpsed at the entry for Music and Lyrics and am probably still going to avoid that one. " [More]
tlemustlemus Just like an 80's video
by tlemus in tlemus Blog
lost interest.
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"I love the 80's! My school and early college years were in the 80's. There are things I will always cherish about those years. One thing I don't though are the videos. If you have no idea how they looked like, watch this movie. These were almost 2 hours of fluff and puff, and no substance. Likewise, I love both Drew and Hugh but their roles and dialogue were full of cliches and "what you expect of them", that made time fly like... "molasses". I couldn't wait for it to be over. But like many 80's videos, it is stuck in my mind and I just can't wait for a real funny and witty movie to make these images disappear like many one-hit wonders from the 80's. " [More]
UshiMuUshiMu ehh
by UshiMu in UshiMu Blog
is neutral about it.
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"Although cute, it was honestly just another chick-flick. It had somewhat a bring-a-smile-to-your-face type of humor. The movie had that soft feel-good-smile attitude, and it left you leaving the theatre with a satisfactory “that was exactly what I expected” feeling in the pit of your chest. It wasn’t the best movie, but it’s good for a boring afternoon at home. " [More]
rlpolo04rlpolo04 Music and Lyrics
by rlpolo04 in rlpolo04 Blog
liked it.
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"Music and Lyrics- ***½Directed by Marc LawrenceMay 9, 2007We all know what happens to former musicians in the entertainment business: very rarely does one stay on top for a very long period of time. there are all kinds of categories you can place groups or people into. The Beatles and Stones never died down or faltered. Then they’re the groups that had a five year or so run and a couple of number one his and never heard from again like Ricky Martin, REO Speedwagon and the Backstreet Boys. Finally there’s the one hit wonder ala Bahhamen, Vanilla Ice, or the group that did the Macarena. You have to be able to put out music, great music, at a reasonable rate and music that transcends time periods. Those are the signs of a great musician. Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) falls into the middle category of performing artists. He is a member of the former 80’s band sensation POP (think Duran Duran). The band broke up after their lead singer went onto a solo career steal ... " [More]
joem18bjoem18b Music and Lyrics
by joem18b in joem18b Blog
liked it.
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"Age is adding a touch of gravitas to Hugh Grant. His good looks, which have limited him throughout his career, are fraying in the same good way that Pacino's did when his bloom wore off. Grant is no Pacino, but looking at him now I can understand how he got caught in a car with a hooker in L.A. That understated, self-deprecating yet subtly superior British style is aided immeasurably in his case by the signs of wear on his puss. Here, he carries on the Cary Grant/Eva Marie Saint tradition of older guy (Grant is 47) scoring with the beautiful and nubile young woman (Drew, 32).Grant plays an aging, ex-rock star reduced to singing at state fairs. (Refer to Bill Nighy in Love Actually for more on the subject.) By a remarkable stroke of luck, he is given the chance of a comeback. However, to succeed, he must write a great song "by Friday" that is, by soon enough to introduce tension in the film but by far enough for him to meet a girl, work through a few plot points, and win her h ... " [More]
wongawonga music and lyrics
by wonga in wonga's filmblog
liked it.
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"i went with my sister and wasn't too excited to be seeing this but by the end it had pretty much won me over. not great but not horrible either! the leads (Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore) were very charming, although he maybe seemed a bit old for her. i enjoyed the movie's tone of poking fun at the music industry. i was waiting for the obligatory romantic comedy scene at the end where they get back together in front of total strangers who then applaud them (for what - a happy ending?) but surprisingly it never happened. the same director i think did Two Weeks Notice, which is a better movie and one of my favorite romantic comedies. " [More]
Review by All Movie Guide
All Movie Guide
is neutral about it.
Marc Lawrence's Music and Lyrics works in large part because the original songs written for the film are as memorable and catchy as any real-life single -- making it pretty easy to accept that these are tunes topping the charts. From the opening video for the new wave era "Pop Goes My Heart," to the "Careless Whisper" knockoff "Meaningless Kiss," to the confessional, intimate love song at the end of the film, Lawrence makes the fictional world of Music and Lyrics pleasingly plausible because the songs always fit their time and place. A handful of songwriters pitched in to compose these tracks, but the standout is Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger -- who provided the same service in Tom Hanks' That Thing You Do!, earning an Oscar nomination for writing the title track (one of the best rock songs ever composed for a movie). The uniformly excellent cast is headed by Hugh Grant, who can mix self-loathing with charm better than anyone else on the planet. He is ideally cast in the role of Alex Fletcher, an Andrew Ridgley-like figure eking out a living thanks to a wave of '80s nostalgia. Grant's nuanced performance conveys both Alex's embarrassment about singing these same songs decades after they were hits, while at the same time exuding the understandable pride he feels for having written such a memorable tune. Drew Barrymore makes a perfect fit for Grant as the sweet but insecure Sophie, creating a tonic for his sarcasm with her natural bubbliness. The two leads clearly know how to carry this kind of movie, and they also get some wonderful color from their supporting cast, including Brad Garrett as a loyal agent, Campbell Scott as Sophie's cold-hearted ex, and Haley Bennett in an impressive debut as a frighteningly plausible composite of every teen idol of the time. Lawrence and company find just enough notes of originality in the romantic comedy formula -- and they put in enough care and craftsmanship -- to make the movie thoroughly enjoyable. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
 



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