No real sparks between Hugh and Drew

Rating: 5/10 (18 February 2007)

At the early part of the film I thought I would be able to rate it as entertaining but disposable. But then as the film went on it just got more and more dull, with only a few sporadic laughs to keep it watchable.
The basic problem with this film is that a comedy like this, which does not have an inherently comedic premise, needs well-defined characters and good plotting, neither of which the film has. Both Hugh Grant (Alex) and Drew Barrymore (Sophie) are thus forced to fall back on their default personas: Hugh with his self-depreciating humor laced with the caddishness he developed for the Bridget Jones movies while Drew once again plays the flaky girlfriend.
Since there's no real tension between the two, particularly when they're struggling to write the song that will possibly resurrect Alex's career, there's no real comedy. If these scenes are watchable at all, its only because the two actors playing them are so charming.
As a side note, is it supposed to be a bad joke that Kirsten Johnson, who looks on the heavy side in this film, is supposed to be running a company that sells weight loss products?