MUSIC AND LYRICS
US, 2007, 96 minutes, Colour.
Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Kristen Johnston, Campbell Scott, Haley Bennett.
Directed by Marc Lawrence.
In a shrewd marketing ploy, Music and Lyrics was released on Valentine’s day. Apparently, it paid off and charmed a large number of audiences.
It is not hard to see why. It is a very entertaining romantic comedy with some witty and ironic asides and some tears of happiness at the end. One difficulty is foreshadowed in the film itself. When has-been singer with an 80s group, Pop, Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) performs at a High School reunion, the fortyish women crowd the stage in raptures, singing and swinging along – then the camera pulls back to show all their men still sitting at their tables looking bored and/or resigned!
Hugh Grant proves to be a very good sport. He sings, thrusts and expertly spoofs the 80s style, making funny deprecating remarks and generally doing well what fans recognise is uniquely Hugh Grant’s style. He participates in a mock music video that plays during the credits both at the beginning and the end. When his agent (Brad Garrett, the very tall brother from Everybody Loves Raymond) takes him to the recording of a video with the newest popular singer, Cora (Haley Bennett), he is commissioned to write her a new song within the week. The allotted lyricist is still lost in punk style.
The substitute plant lady, Sophie (do New Yorkers actually have plant ladies to come in and care for their plants?), a touch absent-minded and hypochondriac, quietly mouthes lines as she works. Since this is Drew Barrymore, we know that she is going to work on the song and the team will have great success. Of course, they do but there are a few showbiz and emotional complications along the way.
Grant is very good and has no qualms in looking foolish and sending himself up – except that he still remains the charming hero. Drew Barrymore is relaxed, sweet and engaging and provides a very sympathetic foil for Grant. There is also a special plea for popular songs and their entertainment value, with melody being the equivalent of an introduction and lyrics being the equivalent of getting to know someone and communicating. Can novels do this, they ask!?
Writer-director, Marc Lawrence, has recently worked for Sandra Bullock, especially with the Miss Congeniality films and the romantic comedy she did with Hugh Grant, Two Weeks’ Notice.
Cheerful (and some funny sequences with Kristy Johnson as Sophie’s literally big sister who runs a weight loss clinic and has an engaging way of bossing her husband as well as swooning for Alex Fletcher), nice (even Cora overcomes her pretentiousness at the end and plays Cupid), it succeeds in being pleasant, funny and charming.
1.A popular romantic comedy? The appeal?
2.The New York settings, the world of performers, the media, agents, recordings, concerts?
3.The importance of the music? Pop Goes My Heart, the MTV presentation of the boy bands of the past? Amusing presentation – with Hugh Grant performing? The later reprises of the theme for the fans? The Way Back to Love, the composition, music and lyrics, Cora, her commissioning the song, her Indian and meditative interests, the end presentation? The final song for Sophie?
4.A Hugh Grant comedy, his ability to send himself up, elegant, dithering, ageing, the old pop star, seeing him perform, his relationship with Chris as his agent? His repartee, romance? Drew Barrymore as foil? Brad Garrett as the straight man? Kristen Johnston as the controlling comedy element?
5.Alex, his past, being past it? Depending on Chris? The concerts and appearances, the cancellations? Cora, her popularity, commissioning a song? His attempts to write, the audition for lyricists, the ultra-serious politically correct lyricist and his disgust? Sophie, her arrival, with the plants, automatically making up the rhymes?
6.Sophie and her plants, her family, relationship with her sister, her past experiences, especially with Sloan, his novel and description of her, her humiliation? The firm, working for Alex? The spontaneous lyrics? Her continuing to make lyrics, Alex impressed, their working together? The visit to her family, her sister being in awe of him, wanting the photo?
7.The song, their working together, success, tensions? Cora and her Indian style, changing the pace of the song? Alex agreeing to her? Sophie adamant, wanting to tell her the truth, walking out because of principles? At the concert, with her sister, hearing the song, stopping – and going on stage to reconcile with Alex?
8.The humour of the family visit, the sister and her control, the kids, Alex teaching them dancing? Their presence at the concert, mothers' shielding the daughters’ eyes, father and the son looking at Cora and the dancers?
9.The restaurant, Sloan arriving, the fuss, Sophie not wanting to meet him, changing into Chris’s wife’s dress, Alex helping her, the scene, Alex speaking directly to Sloan, Sloan and his work on film, being celebrated? His putting Sophie down behind her back?
10.Sophie upset about the song, Alex telling her the plain truth, seeing the song and its adaptation in proportion, being able to handle crises maturely?
11.The concert, the song, Cora and her performance, Sophie walking out, returning?
12.The happy romantic ending?
