Music and Lyrics (2007)

Posted On: 11 January 2011

Film review: Music and Lyrics (2007), directed by Marc Lawrence

Take a songwriter (Hugh Grant) who used to be a huge pop star in the 1980s. Take an eccentric young pop star (Haley Bennett) who wants a new song, and wants the songwriter to write it. Take a quirky gardener (Drew Barrymore) – or at least a person who comes around to look after the pot plants you only keep in your apartment because women you might be bringing back to your flat “like that sort of thing”.

Make a fairly standard romantic comedy, with Everyone Loves Raymond-Raymond’s brother (Brad Garrett) as Grant’s manager, and the funky chick from Third Rock From the Sun (Kristen Johnston) as Barrymore’s sister and huge fan of Grant’s old band, “PoP!”, in supporting roles.

There’s not much more to add.

Cora, a young, annoying, Shakira-like diva of a pop star, wants a new song, about a break-up. She wants Grant to write it for her. Grant tries writing it but the lyrics aren’t right. Fortunately, the new girl who looks after his pot plants turns out to be lyrically inclined and has some ideas.

They learn about each other and they manage to write a song together. Then they argue for a bit, because it’s a romantic comedy, you need to have some acid to balance the sugar. Then eventually they get over their differences and make up and (this will come as no surprise) they live happily ever after.

In the words of a certain advertising mammal, simples.

Is it any good? Yeah, it’s all right. It’s not the best romantic comedy ever – doesn’t surpass Notting Hill, for instance, but it’s a nice and easy story. Not too complicated or anything. Just a fairly enjoyable way to spend an hour and a half, especially if you like romantic comedies. Just nothing to really write home about.

3 out of 5 pianos.