Release Date:
Friday, February 16, 2007
Who knew Hugh Grant could sing? In this lighter-than-air romantic comedy with music, Grant is a washed-up '80s pop star now relegated to playing theme parks and carving out a living as a songwriter for eccentric contemporary musical "artists". When plant sitter Drew Barrymore walks into his life, he discovers she has an uncanny knack for coming up with just the perfect lyrics to sell his new tunes and help him stay alive in the business. A yin and yang couple if ever there was one, their professional collaboration leads predictably to romantic complications when a Shakira-like teen singing sensation (a hysterical Haley Bennett) accepts their first song, with "a few changes," which causes friction in their relationship. The original tunes actually sound like they could have been written in the '80s, and the jokes at the expense of that decade's acts like Tiffany and A Flock of Seagulls are very funny, particularly a running gag about a reality TV show called Battle of the '80s Has-Beens. This style of romantic fluff depends totally on the chemistry of its stars, and Grant and Barrymore work effortlessly to bring this forgettable, but fairly entertaining enterprise off in style. The romantic comedy genre has suffered lately, but this one is passable. Music and Lyrics is no masterpiece, but it's a great way to kill 96 minutes and get points from your girlfriend in the process.