This movie is dinner AND dessert

Rating: 10/10 (15 February 2007)

Music and Lyrics has been on the top of my list of must-sees from the first time I caught the trailer; any film that features Hugh Grant as a washed-up 80s pop star and Drew Barrymore as his song writing partner had to be more than serviceable or there's no glimmer of hope for the movie biz - that was my thinking. Today, I got to see the film, and I'm thrilled to report that I liked it even better than I had expected, from the trailer, which is a monumental rarity for me.
This film works on every level, from the premise on up. Hugh Grant was born to play the role of Alex Fletcher. In fact, I cannot think of any other actor who could pull the performance off as brilliantly as he does. The thing about Grant that really sets him apart from others who do romantic comedy is his perfect timing combined with his abundance of natural glibness - he has a way of making witty dialogue even wittier by having it sound as if he's actually just thought it up and is speaking it spontaneously. There are not very many actors you can genuinely say that about. And Drew Barrymore - her mere presence is enough to make any movie at least watchable, and here she is given a great character, a superb co-star, and a clever set of circumstances to work with.
The film is both charming and funny, which is not an easily-achievable combination. It never gets contrived, heavy-handed or mean-spirited, and just as importantly, it has heart. It's got a lot to say, as well, in a subtle way, about the serious topics of writing, inspiration, honesty, relationships, the music biz in general, and more specifically, the tightrope act that it takes to deal with the commerciality factor of superstardom while still maintaining one's integrity in the process. It also has an extra ace up its sleeve in the form of the absolutely gorgeous Haley Bennett, in a star-making performance as pop star Cora Corman, the person who enlists Fletcher's services at the get-go, which starts the delightful plot wheels turning.
I especially appreciated how Cora's character is not made out to be a bimbo, some brainless puppet whose career is being controlled by some behind-the-scenes mastermind. This is evident particularly in the Madison Square Garden concert scene toward the end, where -=- SPOILER ALERT -=- she decides to do the song that was written for her by Grant's and Barrymore's characters the proper way; this is shown to be ultimately her decision and her decision alone, not a 'corporate' one. -=- END OF SPOILER.
There aren't too many films, let's face it, that can make you laugh out loud (and I laughed out loud a LOT during Music and Lyrics - sometimes at the hilarious one-liners delivered so impeccably by Grant, sometimes at the situations, and sometimes it was a physical bit, like when the two of them wake up under his piano) and also deliver a heartfelt - and subtle - message about what it takes to be true to oneself in life and to realize what truly matters, whatever your occupation.
There's a line in the film where Fletcher says his music from the 80s was OK, but it wasn't dinner, it was merely dessert. I'm here to tell you that Music and Lyrics is most definitely dinner. With a delicious serving of Chocolate Creme Brulee brought to your table afterwards.