The Task: Watch and write about every movie on my shelf, in order (Blu-rays are sorted after DVDs), by June 10, 2015. Remaining movies: 187 Days to go: 188
Movie #190: Music and Lyrics
When making a movie about a song — even tangentially about a song, or about songwriters or about pop stars or similar — it’s crucial that the movie has successful music. Crucial. Critical. Like in That Thing You Do!, if the song is going to be heard over and over again, then it must work as a plausible hit song. In Music and Lyrics, this is also true, only more so.
Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is a former ’80s pop star, the Andrew Ridgeley in a Wham!-like music group. (Hilariously, Scott Porter AKA Friday Night Lights‘s Jason Street is the George Michael in this duo.) A favorite of pop diva superstar Cora (Haley Bennett), Alex is tasked with writing a new song for her next album titled “Way Back Into Love” Unfortunately, Alex is no lyricist and through some fortunate coincidences winds up enlisting Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore) to work with him.
Alex sings several Pop! songs in the course of the film, as part of his fading star lifestyle of theme park performances, and all of them work as former soft rock hits of the 1980s — the signature song, especially (“Pop! Goes My Heart”), is catchy and fun and perfectly cheesy, fulfilling everything it needs to be. You hear it and you believe it was a teenage girl’s favorite song once upon a time. You watch the spectacularly goofball music video and are transported to the time when those videos were all you saw on MTV. It’s incredibly successful.
On the other end of the spectrum, Cora’s music needs to feel current and leading the pop culture charge, musically. While the film undoubtedly mocks these songs — lovingly, the same way it does with the Pop! songs — it also exemplifies everything about the young female superstar stereotype that magically doesn’t date the film or the “new” music even though it came out almost eight years ago.
There are also smaller songs Alex writes specifically for Sophie, first to convince her she’s a lyricist and finally as a climax to the fledgling romance. The first little ditties, where he just plays around with her lyrics, are sweet and charming, but also compelling in their way. The last is everything a big romantic moment in this type of movie has to be: touching, authentic, personal and sweet. Grant and Barrymore have a lot of lovely chemistry as a romantic couple, each supporting and lightly teasing the other’s neuroses in the very best ways, and seeming to really enjoy each other. Their payoff in the song he writes for her feels earned, and it warms my heart.
The most crucial song in the movie, however, is “Way Back Into Love,” the song they write for Cora. Sung, in all or in part, several times throughout the film, it never feels overdone or overplayed. The lyrics are meaningful and heartfelt while still being youthful. The melody is pleasant and memorable. It simply works on every level, and that’s no small feat. Even the ridiculous Cora-fied version with the orgasm sounds and the hip hop stylings feels like some remix that could potentially happen in the current landscape of pop dance music. (Make of that what you will.)
Music and Lyrics also features strong supporting performances by Kristen Johnston (as Sophie’s sister and Alex’s biggest fan) and Brad Garrett (as Alex’s manager), plus fun cameos by Aasif Mandvi (as tone-deaf doorman Khan), Glee’s Matthew Morrison (as a Justin Timberlake-looking assistant to Cora) and Campbell Scott (as handsome douchebag Sloan Cates). It’s just a fun, good, solid romantic comedy that never got the love it deserves (and I honestly think about the line “inspiration is for amateurs” at least once a week).
I think I might go watch it again.
Viable Option 