2/4  Music and Lyrics Quick Review
A romantic comedy that just doesn't work, although Hugh Grant as a fading pop star has some amusing moments. Final Grade: C-


3/4  Music and Lyrics Quick Review
This is a cute movie that celebrates the 80's. It's a solid romantic movie with some laughs.

5/5 Five Stars for a Silly Romance? Yes!
  by A.Trendl HungarianBookstore.com (Glen Ellyn, IL USA)
Sure. Why not? The first question in assessing a movie's merit is does it do as intended?

With "Music and Lyrics," what it intends is nothing extraordinary. It aims to be a fun, romantic, sweet comedy of a man meeting a woman and falling in love, with a poke at pop culture. It accomplishes this. I saw this on February 14, Valentine's Day, and wanted exactly as delivered.

Paul McCartney asked in the 1970s what the world needs with another silly love song. "Music and Lyrics" is, in film, a silly love song.

Hugh Grant plays Alex Fletcher, a has-been pop singer from a defunct duo similar to Wham!, struggles to find his way as his audience stops caring. Realistic, he knows what he is capable of, but is unsure what his next step should be.

When Cora, a pretentious form of Britney Spears-Shakira-Christina Aguilera of sex-pop, offers him an opportunity to write a song, he runs into trouble. He is a melody man, not a lyricist. His lyricist from his old band, Pop!, is long gone.

In walks Sophie Fisher, played with charm by the ever-sweet Drew Barrymore. She's Alex's temporary plant watering person (and not a very good one), with a penchant for delivering peppy lyrics under her breath. Despite the scorn of fill-in wordsmith Greg Antonsky, Alex takes a liking to her style. Greg's angst-style, hopeless lyrics seem off kilter with Alex's personality.

Embittered from a broken affair with an engaged man, Sophie is uninterested. It is one thing to hum a tune, and it is another to commit to writing a song. However, Alex only has a few days and pressures (begs, really), Sophie to help.

She acquiesces, and tries to write. Alex and Sophie clash, as he understands the profession of music, and is desperate, and she is still stuck on the failed affair.

Both are living in the past, and both need to move up into 2007 to survive and thrive.

Finally, lyrics are written, and Cora loves them -- with a few changes. Cora's version is laced with faux spirituality and tramped-up seduction. Sophie's artistic sensibilities are insulted, and pulls the song much to Alex's chagrin. They argue, break-up, and now, Alex is stuck trying to fix a song.

Can he fix the song on time? Will they figure out how to live in the present day? What about love (this is a romantic comedy, remember?).

A fine self-mocking performance is put on by Kristen Johnston as Sophie's older sister Rhonda, making jabs at her own weight-loss campaign. Brad Garrett as Alex's agent Chris Riley is right on the money, as he is both a manager and friend.

Drew Barrymore shows she's more than the girl next door, but has a kind of Lucille Ball, Jenna Elfman, Meg Ryan mix going on.

Hugh Grant is perfectly cast, and is the better side of himself. He never overplays the role, and yet, does not fall into the 'stupid Englishman' persona he occasionally does.

I fully recommend "Music and Lyrics."

Anthony Trendl
editor, HungarianBookstore.com

4/5 Sinfully Good
  by MICHAEL ACUNA (Southern California United States)
"Music and Lyrics" is a hoot: witty, bright, beautifully performed by the luminous Drew Barrymore (as ditzy, charming, beautiful Sophie Fletcher) and the dry of wit, Hugh Grant (as the less famous half, Alex Fletcher of a hot 80's duo, "Pop" obviously patterned after "WHAM") and briskly paced by director Marc Lawrence.
The story is light and airy: Fletcher needs help writing a song for a Britney clone, Cora. A song that could maybe bring him back to prominence after twenty years of playing store openings, amusement parks and nostalgia concerts. Sophie, though a partner with her sister in a Weight Loss clinic, is a whiz at writing pop lyrics: presto...match made in heaven!
The interplay between Barrymore and Grant is spot on and the dialogue and story are almost up to their excellent timing but they both work hard, though not too as that would negate the comedy, to make this work and in most scenes it does.
"Music and Lyrics" is as light as a crepe filled with caramelized bananas and topped with whipped cream and as such don't expect more from it than a huge smile and the delicious satisfaction that comes from eating something you have no business consuming.


4/5 VERY ENTERTAINING ROMANTIC COMEDY!
  by ! MR. KNOW IT ALL ;-b (TRI STATE AREA)
Really good romantic comedies are few and far between. 'Music and Lyrics is one of the good ones! Reminiscent of 'The Wedding Singer' with it's parody of the 80's pop scene and also co-starring Drew Barrymore, this smart and funny film features a believable chemistry and relationship between the two leads and not too sappy an ending. The 80's in-jokes are clever and keep this movie from falling into the same traps most bad romantic comedies do. Hugh and Drew are as likable as they ever have been in this romantic musical comedy! The fact that they acually sing the songs in this film make it all the better.

5/5 Completely Captivating!
  by J. Arena (Williamsburg, VA)
This is a movie that you'll love forever. Hearing any snippet of the score will give you that happy, sappy feeling that only a great romantic comedy can.

Drew Barrymore is precious as only Drew Barrymore can be, and five minutes into the film I forgot that I never really considered myself a huge fan of Hugh Grant!

Music and Lyrics is everything that a romantic comedy is meant to be and then some. This DVD belongs in your collection!

5/5 Sweet and appealing fun
  by Jon Hunt (Old Greenwich, Ct. USA)
From the opening credits, "Music and Lyrics" bounces along and for ninety minutes draws you in to what has to be one of the most charmingly appealing films of the last few years. Everything seems to work here beginning with the simple premise that a has-been songwriter is given a deadline of two days to write a new song for an up-and-coming pop queen...only to discover that he needs a lyricist. And boy, does he find one!

Hugh Grant plays Alex Fletcher, the aging star of the musical group "Pop". With that song deadline looming and down-and-out about his success in completing it on time, in walks Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore) to water his plants. What happens from here on out is pure magic as Alex discovers Sophie's natural talent with lyrics. The film sails along, never letting down, as they work together and discover each other.

I've seen "Music and Lyrics" twice and liked it even better the second time. The supporting cast with Brad Garrett as Alex's tortured manager, Kristen Johnston, as Sophie's neurotic-driven older sister and Haley Bennett as Cora Corman, the new pop sensation, are all terrific. The songs are evocative of another age and work well in support of the film. But it is really the chemistry between Grant and Barrymore that wins the viewer over. Perfectly cast, she plays foil to his gentle, persuasive humor and the end result is sheer joy. I highly recommend "Music and Lyrics". It's a refreshingly funny, witty and wonderful film.