The film opens with
a wonderfully tacky, synthesizer-laden ’80s music video for the song
“Pop Goes My Heart,” performed by a group named Pop (think big hair)
in front of a loud checkered background that’s bold enough to induce
a seizure. After the single’s success, we learn, the lead singer
went on to star in movies and produce his own solo albums, while the
rest of the band, which includes Grant’s character Alex, has
resorted to playing amusement parks and high school reunions.
But today is Alex’s
lucky day: Britney/Christina pop sensation Cora Corman (Haley
Bennett) has asked him to write the lyrics for her song “A Way Back
Into Love,” an opportunity he and his manager Chris (Brad Garrett)
sorely need. Alex is given a Friday deadline to pen the tune, which
means virtually nothing to the audience because the movie never
reveals what day “today” is (we do, at one point, learn he’s within
36 hours of Friday). More bad news for Alex is that he’s never been
able to write lyrics, but fortunately the girl who waters his
plants, Sophie (Barrymore), is a “born lyricist” who reluctantly
agrees to help. Romance and hijinks ensue, almost all of which are
spectacularly dull.
It’s nice that
writer/director Marc Lawrence (Two Weeks Notice) postpones
romance between the two leads for as long as possible, but doing so
also accentuates how little chemistry they have. We know they’re
going to fall in love eventually. The problem is that we never
really care because there is no sense conveyed that they belong
together. In a way, they’re much more interesting (and funny) on
their own than as a couple.
As for the music
and lyrics within the film, they too lack substance. It’s an
unwritten rule that whenever there’s any form of writing in movies,
be it novels, plays or song lyrics, it’s almost always read aloud by
a main character and almost always awful. In this case the lyrics
are sung by the two leads, although Barrymore’s Sophie openly admits
she can’t do it and her singing is kept to a minimum. As for Grant,
he sounds like an untrained has-been whose voice could pass only
when hidden amid a chorus of better singers. In other words, his
talent fits the role perfectly, and his solos leave a lot to be
desired.
The bottom-line
truth about Music and Lyrics is this: Grant and Barrymore
have sung this romantic ballad before, and to much better effect.
There’s always room for a feel-good movie at the multiplex, and
Hollywood studios have been churning out exactly that for more than
a century now. But what filmmakers must realize is that originality
within genre confines is necessary to make a truly enjoyable film.
Otherwise, that shoulder-shrugging “eh” you give your companion when
the movie ends is here to stay.
Comments? E-mail
dhudak22@yahoo.com.
Music and Lyrics **
Written and
directed by Marc Lawrence. Starring Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad
Garrett, Haley Bennett. Rated PG-13.
Also opening in
Miami-Dade County this Friday: Breaking and Entering,
Factory Girl, Ghost Rider, The Italian.
-
A genuine
must-see: * * * *
-
Entertaining: *
* *
-
Mediocre but
not worthless: * * *
-
A wretched
waste of time: *
