A very enjoyable romantic comedy about songwriting.

Rating: Null/10 (18 May 2007)

I like both main actors, I enjoy their style and generally like any movie they are in. I like this movie very much. It is predictable in one way, but very unpredictable the way it gets to where you know it must be going. Very clever script writing.
Hugh Grant is Alex Fletcher, 1980s singing "has been" living in New York. He earns a living by playing nostalgia gigs almost anywhere his agent friend can get them. In this movie he is entertaining a bunch of his fans at a 20 year class reunion for the class of 1987 when he had been at the peak of his popularity. Alex is a gifted musician, but never could write lyrics. He gets a break when hot pop star "Cora" (real newcomer Haley Bennett) needs a new song and he is asked to write one in two days.
Drew Barrymore is Sophie Fisher, formerly aspiring novelist who now helps her sister and this day is filling in as a plant waterer in Alex's apartment. As Alex struggles with lyrics, she absentmindedly voices an interesting line. Alex is excited, thinks she is a natural, tries to get her to work with him but she wants no part of it, and we learn why later. It has to do with an old, bad writing experience.
We learn from the DVD extra that neither Grant nor Barrymore are singers, but for this movie they did all their own singing, and Grant even sings harmony with "Cora" at one point. He has a very pleasant singing voice, and even learned a bit of piano playing for the role.