Review: Music and Lyrics

UK release date: 9th February

Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore fail to hit any high notes in this humdrum romantic comedy from writer/director Marc Lawrence (Two Weeks Notice).

Grant plays washed-up 1980s pop idol Alex Fletcher, who’s competing for the chance to contribute a song to hot young star Cora Corman’s (Haley Bennett) new album. Sadly, lyrics aren’t his forte, but his “plant carer” Sophie (Barrymore) proves to have a way with words.

After a chucklesome opening that sees Grant doing polite pelvic thrusts à la George Michael in his Wham! heyday, Lawrence runs out of funny ideas. Grant gets his share of snappy one-liners, but his incessant glibness becomes so tiresome that you’ll begin to tune him out. His budding relationship with Barrymore is largely unconvincing and it doesn’t help matters that she’s in constant danger of being upstaged by the vegetation surrounding her. And frankly, the less said about the Stock Aitken Waterman-inspired soundtrack, the better.

Radio Times rating:

**

UK cinema certificate PG

Review by Stella Papamichael

New: Drew Barrymore

Former wildcat Barrymore seems only to crop up in romantic comedies these days, and this week’s Music and Lyrics is no exception. Her next two movies, however, are an overdue shift back to drama.

First up is the latest from L.A. Confidential director Curtis Hanson, with Barrymore the love interest to Eric Bana’s troubled professional poker player in Lucky You. It’s due out in the UK on 27th April – unusually for an American film a week before it hits cinemas in the States. It was originally meant to be out last year, so make of that what you will…

After that she’ll be staring alongside Jessica Lange in Grey Gardens, based on the lives of the dotty aunt and cousin of Jackie Kennedy, both named Edith Bouvier Beale and both one time society beaus, but who ended up living together as oddball recluses before a major tabloid scandal forced their First Lady relative to come to their aid. Could be good, but it’s from a first time writer/director whose only previous cinematic experience was as production assistant on the rather poor Deep Impact and The Seige, so don’t hold out too much hope.

Poor Drew. Where did it all go wrong? Oh yes… The drugs – that’d be it…

News: Hugh Grant

This week’s Music and Lyrics could be the last time we see our man Grant on the big screen for a while – which is a shame, considering how well he seemed to have shaken off his early bumbling posh boy persona in recent outings.

He currently appears to have no film projects definitely on the go, seemingly being too busy appearing in gossip rags with his new girlfriend Jemima Kahn. He is, however, apparently in talks to lend his voice talents to the forthcoming Disney animation American Dog, alongside John Travolta, Bernie Mac and Woody Harrelson, though nothing is certain as yet.