Music and Lyrics

Yes, this is an inauspicious movie with which to start our review blog. Not exactly a blockbuster, or an indie surprise. But it is what we watched last night, and that's what this blog is: whatever we watch. So, here is our take on Music and Lyrics.

Alex Fletcher (played by Hugh Grant) is a has been British pop star, sort of like the other guy from Wham. He is offered a chance to write a song for the current pop sensation, Cora (played by Haley Bennett), but needs a lyricist to help. He winds up working with Sophie Fisher (played by Drew Barrymore), a flaky girl he meets while she is filling in for the girl who normally waters his plants. She has a hidden talent for writing good lyrics, but her past makes her reluctant to do so. Fletcher coaxes her to come out of her shell and a romantic comedy ensues. That's the basics.

SoulTrain
First off, in the interest of full disclosure I feel I should tell you. I like Hugh Grant. I'm not gay for him or anything, but I think he is a decent actor and has a penchant for playing characters who I can relate to. He generally starts out as some kind of loser type who has a good sense of humor, and then learns the true meaning of life by the end of the picture. This one is no different.

I liked this movie for what it was. It was fun, followed the formula and didn't make me think too hard. Grant was good in a role he should be comfortable with by now. And Brad Garrett was just about the right amount of comic relief as his manager. Drew Barrymore, on the other hand, was a bit overplayed in this one. From her introduction, when she arrives to water the plants, she comes across as flaky (which I am sure is what writer Marc Lawrence intended). But her flakiness seems forced and feels like one bit followed by another, with no fluidity. She settles in a bit as the movie goes on, but for me the damage was already done. It was a predictable plot, but that doesn't bother me. I've seen enough movies by now to know that a reasonably small percentage of them will surprise me.

I give this movie 3 out of 5. It was average, but worth watching.

SoulTrain's Wife

Just seeing Hugh Grant shake his ass (and more) in 80s fashion was enough to win me over on this one. I was surprised and pleased by the chemistry between Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore in this movie...both are favorites of mine for very different reasons. I was nervous about seeing them in a romantic comedy together, but glad it worked out so well. The real stars of the show, however, were Kristen Johnston (as Sophie's sister and obsessive Alex-fan) who brought over-the-top and somewhat embarassing-at-times zaniness to every scene she was in, and Brad Garrett (playing Alex's agent), who brought the much-needed serenity and dry wit. Haley Bennett's performance (as Cora, the Britney/Shakira wannabe) was over the top and annoying. I see what they were trying to do, but I think the extreme to which she played her character was a tad unnecessary and actually took a bit away from the movie for me. The movie wrapped up well...it ended with the same feel as it began, with the pop-up video style storytelling perfectly mirroring the music video from the opening sequence. Overall, a charming movie.

I also give this movie a 3 out of 5.