HOME |
DINING |
MOVIES |
LIVE SHOWS |
ARTS |
UPCOMING EVENTS
ARCHIVES |
ABOUT |
ADVERTISE |
CONTACT |
DISTRIBUTION
entertaining u newspaper: your weekly guide to entertainment
Main
|
Seen, Heard, Noted & Quoted
>>
|
|
|
by kellie abrahamson kabrahamson1@aol.com
Grade: C Rated PG-13 96 min.
With Valentine’s Day coming up, it’s a given that more “chick flicks” will be making their way to the box office. Music and Lyrics certainly applies. This somewhat funny feel-good flick should please the ladies; though not all of them; and bore the fellas to tears; though, surprisingly, not the whole time.
The 80’s were a terrific time for Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant). He was a pop superstar in one of the biggest bands of the decade, PoP. When the group broke up, Alex’s fame took a nosedive and today he’s considered a has-been. Stuck working the nostalgia circuit at county fairs and high school reunions, Fletcher is certain his days in the limelight are over. That is until reigning pop diva Cora Corman (Haley Bennett) commissions him to write and record a duet with her. Cora’s request comes with some strings attached: he must write the music and lyrics to a song that will be titled “Way Back into Love” and he must do so in a matter of days. The problem is Alex has never been able to write lyrics well and hasn’t written an original song in years. As he struggles to complete this seemingly impossible task, a chance encounter puts him in the path of Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), a quirky aspiring writer who has lost her confidence thanks to a nasty breakup. With no one else to turn to, Alex begs for Sophie’s help, which she reluctantly gives. The two discover that they make beautiful music together, if you know what I mean. And I think you do. The film also stars Brad Garrett, Kristen Johnston and Campbell Scott.
Music and Lyrics was written, directed and produced by Marc Lawrence, the man who gave us films like Forces of Nature (writer), Two Weeks Notice (writer/director) and the Miss Congeniality movies (writer/producer). While he failed to use old stand-by Sandra Bullock this time around, he does manage to give us a surprisingly similar picture. The romantic comedy formula is still hard at work here and, if previous trips to the box office are any indication, it’ll pay off for him.
Music and Lyrics is, as I’m sure you have guessed, a chick flick in every sense of the term. It’s cute and mildly amusing, but the story itself is nothing to write home about. The story is pretty cliché and most of what is supposed to be funny is a bit too dry for the tastes of the average movie-goer. The acting is passable, with Grant and Barrymore falling into their usual characters. Because of all of this, the film moves a bit more slowly than I would have liked.
Many of the bright spots in the film come from the songs themselves. All of the actors who dared to sing did a good job and the songs themselves are catchy and pretty decent. You will find yourself humming on your way out of the theater. I know I did. In the title sequence, the audience is treated to a delightfully cheesy music video for PoP’s 80’s hit “Pop Goes My Heart” which is quite amusing. There are also some entertaining moments that poke fun at pop stars who sing about holding spiritual beliefs but tart themselves up to appeal to male listeners and secure record sales. If you do intend to drag your man to see this film, I imagine these are the only scenes he will be paying attention to as beautiful newcomer Haley Bennett tends to wear less and less each time she appears. Other than that, most guys I know will be catching some z’s during the bulk of the picture.
Like last week’s release Because I Said So, Music and Lyrics is perfectly suited for a girl’s night out and not much more. While this is certainly not a thinking woman’s picture, the commentary on today’s overly-sexualized pop stars may spark a conversation or two and will most likely have you paying more attention to your pre-teen’s musical idol. The film is also a nice throwback to the 80’s, which was, in hindsight, a much more innocent time if you take what this movie says as gospel. Music and Lyrics is cute but is probably better suited as a home video rental.
|
|
