It works for the most part, but is clearly not one of the best

Rating: 7/10 (18 May 2007)

I am a big fan of Hugh Grant. I may not be the biggest fan of romantic comedies, but anything with him in it is usually something I would tend to watch. And after the absolutely grotesque spectacle that was American Dreamz, I was ready for just about anything to cleanse that god-awful taste out of my mouth. And even though Music and Lyrics is another film about the record industry, I think I am ready to forgive him.
Grant stars as Alex Fletcher, an out of work 1980's pop singer who just happens to be one of singing sensation Cora Corman's (Haley Bennett) favourite artists. Needing a new single to complete her latest album, Corman gives Fletcher just over a few days to compose a brand new song, despite him not having written one in years. After a brief go with someone else, Fletcher finds his muse in his new plant lady, Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), who just so happens to know how to write eloquently.
Yes, it sounds rather lame, and just about anyone knows how the film will end, but that does not totally take away from the fun at play here.
Grant is charming as always, even as a much older guy. He has really gotten to the point of perfection in understanding his romantic on-screen partners, and can really mesh in well against them. And even when you can tell he is not trying too hard, Grant still has a suspicious way of making it look like he is. And while he did genuinely attempt something different with Dreamz, you can see that this is where his heart lies, and probably where he is going to be stuck until he really breaks out as something more than the oft-spoken British guy in all of the romantic comedies everyone loves. But if that does not work out, I think he has quite a potential career in singing.
Barrymore, another actor almost eternally cursed to this kind of role, also does well within it. She has some moments where she looks like she is lapsing into someone who is totally different from her character, but thankfully these only last for a few moments. She lights up the screen anytime she is front and centre alongside Grant, and even with unoriginal material, Barrymore makes something of her character and the film itself. She pales in comparison to Grant of course, but for someone who is not the quintessential romantic lead, she did pretty well for herself.
Bennett in her tiny role is a bit bizarre, but was clearly written and acted on being someone who is just alien in her behaviour. To that, I think she does an adequate job, but she could have done better. If she really wanted to make herself out to be that much of a princess, she really should tried a lot less. She has a hell of a singing voice though.
The only real bad apples here are Brad Garrett as Fletcher's manager Chris Riley, and Kristen Johnson as Sophie's sister Rhonda. I just have never liked Garrett, so maybe I am a bit bias when I call him a bad apple. But other than a few minor giggles, he really does nothing for the film. Hell, other than telling Fletcher about Corman wanting him to write a song, he basically does next to nothing. He would have just done better as a backdrop. Much goes the same for Johnson, who appears to have gotten another role written strictly for someone who resembles this bizarre person. I understand her rabid fanaticism, but there is a very thin line between comedy and annoyance. Johnson teeters on this line for the entirety of the film, and no matter what, she does not have the power to overcome any ridiculous stupidity this character acts out.
As a film though, it tends to go on a bit too long. It could have done with a nice trim around the fattened middle, and this could have lead to a much faster and greater ending. As it stands, it falls into a few too many subplots that seem to want to put more influence on the characters than what is needed. I could have done with just minor background on Barrymore's character; I did not need to know as much as we end up being told. It just ends up feeling superfluous in the end, and drops the film down a few notches. If they really needed to keep it, I think they could have done it in a far more interesting way.
But of course, I digress from my favourite part of the film  the opening scene. Mixing in Flock of Seagulls, Duran Duran and Wham!, the film opens with a music video from Fletcher's band PoP! that ends up being the perfect synergy of 1980's-style fads and 2007-style parodies. It works on so many levels that it almost overshadows the rest of the film. Everything is just pitch perfect, and if you did not realize that Hugh Grant was jumping around dressed as an 80's pop rocker, you probably could have mistaken it for the real thing. It is just that accurate, and clearly something everyone should watch whether they view the entirety of the film or not.
On the whole, Music and Lyrics is a bit of a toss-up. On one hand, it has the immaculate Hugh Grant doing exactly what he does best, and being paired off with romantic comedy regular Drew Barrymore to boot. But on the other, it is flawed to the point of being superfluous in at least one section. For the most part, it works, and that should be enough for the majority of people watching it. But for any others, it can be used as a light snack, but not as a main course.
7.5/10.