Wand Rom-Com Cliches
What’s better than a date movie with Drew Barrymore?
WILLIAM O’DONNELL VOLUNTEER STAFF
COURTESY OF WARNER BROS.
Is it redundant to say that a romantic comedy featuring Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore is formulaic and predictable? Redundant or not, I just did, though it should be noted that Music and Lyrics’ predictability is somewhat comforting and mostly just hinders its ending. Up to said point, the film moves quickly enough and with ample-enough quips that it is quite watchable. Save for the terrifically boring “Will they? Won’t they?” romantic tension sequences between Grant and Barrymore, these two work well as a screen couple. Grant can handle his befuddled-butwitty gent act as well as he ever could, while Barrymore pulls off her own brand of cute just as well.
The plot follows aging has-been pop-star Alex Fletcher (Grant), one half of fictional ’80s band Pop! He’s attempting to re-spark his musical career by writing a song for the world’s current top pop sensation Cora, (played by newcomer Haley Bennett, whose performance allows for much gritting of teeth). Meanwhile, Fletcher uses Sophie Fisher (Barrymore) as his unlikely lyricist. Barrymore waters Grant’s plants in a meet-cute scenario and it snowballs from there until the big concert ending. Should I spoil that ending? I don’t have to. You know exactly what happens in this film . . . and that’s fine.
Instead of turning Grant’s character into a vehicle for another sentimental comeback tale, Music and Lyrics saves itself some grief by having him, more often than not, accept his current lot in life. Strangely though, this potential pity story is displaced from Grant’s character onto Barrymore’s. Her
Directed by Marc Lawrence
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♥♥ out of 5
character has her life turned into the subject of a national bestseller-turned- Hollywood movie, courtesy of her former teacher/lover. The audience is thankfully spared a cheesy resolution to this problem (although you do get the obligatory Grant-becoming–anear- hero bit), and instead we see the characters come to terms with their emotions on their own while the badguy author gets his comeuppance offscreen (his movie is a flop . . . which does not actually hurt him if you think about it. But that doesn’t matter in the greater scheme of the film; so long as Barrymore smiles about it).
In true romantic-comedy fashion, even the supporting cast manages to be predictable. For example, Brad Garret (better known as the mopey older brother in Everybody Loves Raymond) plays a mopey friend/manager to Grant. Go figure. On the plus side, Kristen Johnston steals many scenes with her portrayal of Barrymore’s sister, who still clings to her teenage crush on Grant.
Aside from reiterating that there are some humourous moments throughout, that the ending is boring as sin, and that Barrymore and Grant work better here than nearly any Bullock/Gere/Roberts/Ryan romcom combination you can cook up, there’s not much more to say. There are lighthearted jokes and cheap laughs aplenty in this film, but at least they’re well-executed. This is a passable date movie that does not break any moulds, but at least fills all the proper spots with enough amusement to get the audience through.
