In the opening scene of
Music and Lyrics, we witness a fictional music video from 1984. This was the year that the film's male lead, Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) was riding high as one of the lead singers of the British super group, Pop. As I was watching the video, I slowly began to realize just how accurate it was to the era it was trying to represent. Anyone who grew up in the 80s watching MTV is sure to smile, not just at the video itself, but at the song "Pop Goes My Heart", which is catchy in that special way that only 80s music can provide, and actually sounds like it could have been a hit song from that time. The movie does not exaggerate or parody just how goofy the 80s pop music scene was. It understands it, and it understands just what made that kind of music so special. The movie itself is pretty special in its own way too. After sitting through some disastrous romantic comedy duds like
Because I Said So and
Norbit (I almost hesitate to label
Norbit a romantic comedy, but I do think Eddie Murphy was trying for that angle for most of the film.),
Music and Lyrics is charming, breezy, likeable, and most importantly, funny.
When the story itself kicks off, we find Alex is far from his glory days of the 80s and mainly makes his money living off his past, performing at high school reunions and amusement parks. Early in the film, his long-time manager (Brad Garrett) has managed to get him a potential job with female pop star icon Cora Corman (Haley Bennett). She wants him to write a new song for her, and has given him the seemingly-impossible deadline of having the song finished in just a few days. With a televised celebrity boxing match called "Battle of the 80s Has-Beens" being Alex's only other job offer at the moment, he accepts the assignment, even though he hasn't written a song in over 10 years. Enter the sweet and quirky Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), the woman whose job is to water Alex's plants in his apartment. Alex happens to notice that Sophie has an incredible way with words when she starts making up some lyrics to herself while working as she listens to the music he's playing. Impressed, Alex tries to coax Sophie into collaborating with him on the song, even though she is not confident in her own abilities. As the two slowly form a working relationship, they find themselves drawn to each other in a completely different way outside of work.
While I'm sure no one will be surprised by many of the plot developments or the outcome of
Music and Lyrics, the movie is smarter and funnier than most like-minded films. That's because writer-director Marc Lawrence (
Two Weeks Notice) lets the humor come out of the dialogue, instead of tired slapstick or contrived Idiot Plot situations. There is a warmth and likeability in this movie that is present from the opening scene, and it carries throughout. It's not just because of the likeable and funny characters, but it's also because the movie seems to be set in a place resembling the real world, instead of the fantasy world most romantic comedies are set in where relationships are forced and come out of nowhere. The relationship between Alex and Sophie is gradual, and we can see how the connection builds in each scene. Part of this is due to the instant chemistry of Grant and Barrymore, and another part is due to the screenplay by Lawrence that allows us to get to know and like each character before they fall in love. What also helps make the movie seem a bit more plausible is that a lot of the film's original music is actually good - A big plus in a movie set around music. When we finally hear the song that Alex and Sophie have written, it actually sounds like a song that could be a hit, and is tuneful and enjoyable. We can share in the characters' enthusiasm for the song, and we can understand why others would be drawn to it.
There are some other ways that the film manages to stay a step above the norm for the genre. The pre-required best friend and outside characters are likeably goofy, but in a realistic way, and not over the top and annoying. And, just like most romantic comedies, there is a problem that threatens to split the couple apart halfway through. But, this time, the problem doesn't seem contrived, and the characters are not required to act like idiots and misunderstand each other just for the fact that the plot requires there to be a problem to set up the third act of the story. The problem the characters face here is a little bit more realistic than what we usually get. There is no surprise person from the past who comes back into their lives and threatens to break them up. There is no forced misunderstanding where one of the characters winds up looking bad in the eyes of the other. The means of the break up is a little bit more understandable and realistic. It's quite obvious that Marc Lawrence has studied the genre well, but it's also obvious that he understands it a little bit better than some others. We never become annoyed or frustrated with the characters. While the movie will not exactly set the world on fire, the little things it does right at least gives me hope that someone at least knows how to pay respect to the genre, and also respect the intelligence of their audience at the same time.
It also certainly helps that
Music and Lyrics has managed to score an incredibly likeable pairing for its two lead stars. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore bring both of their individual talents to their respective roles, and are able to play off of each other in a way that we can see the connection between the characters and the actors themselves. This allows us to want to see them get together and care about them. Grant's dry, sarcastic wit and Barrymore's sweetly undeniable charm merge together to create an instantly noticeable chemistry that only builds as the film goes on. They are supported by a winning supporting cast, including Kristen Johnston who is hilariously memorable as Sophie's "Pop"-obsessed older sister. Another stand out is newcomer Haley Bennett as pop princess Cora Corman. While her character at first seems to be a somewhat ditzy caricature, she is eventually able to give both her performance and her character a bit more of a sympathetic and likeable nature than we would at first expect. Even Brad Garrett from TV's
Everybody Loves Raymond gets to try something different from the usual slow-witted characters he's stuck with, and gives a genuinely likeable performance as Alex's faithful manager. The movie treats them as real people, not as cliches, and we wind up liking them just as much as the lead roles.
Music and Lyrics is a highly entertaining comedy that may not break the rules or expectations, but is a little bit smarter in the way that it plays by those rules. I've always said that a formula movie can still work as long as the talent involved cares about the story being told and the characters who inhabit it. You can tell that everyone involved with this film cared a little bit more. This is a joyful and spirited movie that left me in a very good mood by the time it was over. It's fitting that this movie is being released on Valentine's Day, as I think this is a date movie that can truly be enjoyed by both people on that date.
Music and Lyrics doesn't want to change the way you think about romantic comedies, it just wants to entertain. And at that, it is a rousing and complete success.
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In the opening scene of Music and Lyrics, we witness a fictional music video from 1984. This was the year that the film's male lead, Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) was riding high as one of the lead singers of the British super group, Pop. As I was watching the video, I slowly began to realize just how accurate it was to the era it was trying to represent. Anyone who grew up in the 80s watching MTV is sure to smile, not just at the video itself, but at the song "Pop Goes My Heart", which is catchy in that special way that only 80s music can provide, and actually sounds like it could have been a hit song from that time. The movie does not exaggerate or parody just how goofy the 80s pop music scene was. It understands it, and it understands just what made that kind of music so special. The movie itself is pretty special in its own way too. After sitting through some disastrous romantic comedy duds like Because I Said So and Norbit (I almost hesitate to label Norbit a romantic comedy, but I do think Eddie Murphy was trying for that angle for most of the film.), Music and Lyrics is charming, breezy, likeable, and most importantly, funny.
When the story itself kicks off, we find Alex is far from his glory days of the 80s and mainly makes his money living off his past, performing at high school reunions and amusement parks. Early in the film, his long-time manager (Brad Garrett) has managed to get him a potential job with female pop star icon Cora Corman (Haley Bennett). She wants him to write a new song for her, and has given him the seemingly-impossible deadline of having the song finished in just a few days. With a televised celebrity boxing match called "Battle of the 80s Has-Beens" being Alex's only other job offer at the moment, he accepts the assignment, even though he hasn't written a song in over 10 years. Enter the sweet and quirky Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), the woman whose job is to water Alex's plants in his apartment. Alex happens to notice that Sophie has an incredible way with words when she starts making up some lyrics to herself while working as she listens to the music he's playing. Impressed, Alex tries to coax Sophie into collaborating with him on the song, even though she is not confident in her own abilities. As the two slowly form a working relationship, they find themselves drawn to each other in a completely different way outside of work.
While I'm sure no one will be surprised by many of the plot developments or the outcome of Music and Lyrics, the movie is smarter and funnier than most like-minded films. That's because writer-director Marc Lawrence (Two Weeks Notice) lets the humor come out of the dialogue, instead of tired slapstick or contrived Idiot Plot situations. There is a warmth and likeability in this movie that is present from the opening scene, and it carries throughout. It's not just because of the likeable and funny characters, but it's also because the movie seems to be set in a place resembling the real world, instead of the fantasy world most romantic comedies are set in where relationships are forced and come out of nowhere. The relationship between Alex and Sophie is gradual, and we can see how the connection builds in each scene. Part of this is due to the instant chemistry of Grant and Barrymore, and another part is due to the screenplay by Lawrence that allows us to get to know and like each character before they fall in love. What also helps make the movie seem a bit more plausible is that a lot of the film's original music is actually good - A big plus in a movie set around music. When we finally hear the song that Alex and Sophie have written, it actually sounds like a song that could be a hit, and is tuneful and enjoyable. We can share in the characters' enthusiasm for the song, and we can understand why others would be drawn to it.
There are some other ways that the film manages to stay a step above the norm for the genre. The pre-required best friend and outside characters are likeably goofy, but in a realistic way, and not over the top and annoying. And, just like most romantic comedies, there is a problem that threatens to split the couple apart halfway through. But, this time, the problem doesn't seem contrived, and the characters are not required to act like idiots and misunderstand each other just for the fact that the plot requires there to be a problem to set up the third act of the story. The problem the characters face here is a little bit more realistic than what we usually get. There is no surprise person from the past who comes back into their lives and threatens to break them up. There is no forced misunderstanding where one of the characters winds up looking bad in the eyes of the other. The means of the break up is a little bit more understandable and realistic. It's quite obvious that Marc Lawrence has studied the genre well, but it's also obvious that he understands it a little bit better than some others. We never become annoyed or frustrated with the characters. While the movie will not exactly set the world on fire, the little things it does right at least gives me hope that someone at least knows how to pay respect to the genre, and also respect the intelligence of their audience at the same time.
It also certainly helps that Music and Lyrics has managed to score an incredibly likeable pairing for its two lead stars. Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore bring both of their individual talents to their respective roles, and are able to play off of each other in a way that we can see the connection between the characters and the actors themselves. This allows us to want to see them get together and care about them. Grant's dry, sarcastic wit and Barrymore's sweetly undeniable charm merge together to create an instantly noticeable chemistry that only builds as the film goes on. They are supported by a winning supporting cast, including Kristen Johnston who is hilariously memorable as Sophie's "Pop"-obsessed older sister. Another stand out is newcomer Haley Bennett as pop princess Cora Corman. While her character at first seems to be a somewhat ditzy caricature, she is eventually able to give both her performance and her character a bit more of a sympathetic and likeable nature than we would at first expect. Even Brad Garrett from TV's Everybody Loves Raymond gets to try something different from the usual slow-witted characters he's stuck with, and gives a genuinely likeable performance as Alex's faithful manager. The movie treats them as real people, not as cliches, and we wind up liking them just as much as the lead roles.
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