Just when you thought you've seen Hugh Grant do it all as the romantic comedy lead

Rating: 8/10 (18 February 2007)

Hugh Grant plays Alex Fletcher, the forgotten half of a popular 80's pop duo who's now struggling to maintain a respectable career. He tours with the carnivals and on reunion shows while his partner earns millions after having gone solo. Drew Barrymore plays Sophie Fisher, a quirky but charming and talented writer with a serious writer's block brought on by broken heart. Thanks to her mentor, the acclaimed novelist, Sloan Cates (Scott Campbell).
When the chance came for Alex to revive his career through writing a new love song for the reigning Pop Princess Cora, he was stuck without a decent lyricist. Sophie was just pitching in for Alex's plant lady, but when she dished out a few lines that made perfect sense while watering the plants, Alex knew she could be the key to his success.
What child of the 80s will not LOVE this movie? This movie is funny, funny, funny! Memories of the British Pop invasion will flood you at once. Owe it to the surprising MTV intro that blows you away before you can say - wake me up before you go-go! It all so eerily resembled a WHAM music video with the band members looking like Duran Duran. Ah, the hairstyles! And the dance moves! The allusions to all the 80s icons cannot be missed. And you can't miss how the movie shows their probable sorry states today. Being a pop fan myself, I would also be screaming with the rest of them should my favorites perform today, no matter if they've aged two decades.
Did anyone miss that a Brit himself played the forgotten other half of a has-been 80's duo? Just when you thought you've seen Hugh Grant do it all as the romantic comedy lead, he delivers a surprise performance in a character so familiar, yet so unlike his other roles. I think what got the audience cheering the movie on is seeing the usually self-conscious Grant sing, dance and gyrate those hips many times over like a real Pop King. Now THAT is serious acting.
I recall a particular TV interview when Grant promised profusely that he would not ever dance on screen again after doing "Love Actually". Who would forget the scene where Prime Minister loses himself, strutting his stuff around to the tune of JUMP? No wonder his moves in Music and Lyrics seemed so familiar! The surprises, wittiness of the characters and the laughter built without letup for the first half of the film. But I would say that's where it reached its crescendo, losing steam in the middle and leaving me wondering if I can reach the end of the film without falling asleep.
Anyway! Just enjoy the banter and the quirkiness of the characters. No one could have picked out a more perfect casting. Drew Barrymore is her usual appealing self, her delivery of Sophie showed a character as lovely and as mature as the person she seem to be becoming today. The supporting roles of Kristen Johnson as Sophie's sister Rhonda, Brad Garrett as Alex's manager Chris, provided not just more comic relief, but it rounded out Alex and Sophie's individual worlds and gave the film more heart. Lastly for Haley Bennett as the most venerated Cora, I could only say she's one smart girl: starting her singing career by playing a pop princess in a movie. Most people start the other way around.
However, what I find sadly missing, is the romantic chemistry between Grant and Barrymore. I wonder if it's their age difference, or their culture difference or pure real discomfort between the two actors that came across on-screen. The two played their characters brilliantly, but when they kissed eeeoow! I didn't feel the thrill nor the tenderness. For a movie focused on creating an enchanting melody, this aspect was sorely out of tune.
Anyway again. Once you get past the dizzy phase of connecting this symbol with that icon, and the development of relationship between the characters, you get to the heart of the film. That is, usually, the one thing getting in the way, the one person causing the writer's block of our lives, whatever they may be, is ourselves. - our inability to remove blame from everybody else and just do whatever it is we ought to do.