Cinematical

Twice in the past year, I've seen movies in which the closing credits were the funniest part of the movie, which is not exactly a recommendation for those films (Cars and Code Name: The Cleaner). Now I have the dubious honor of having seen a film in which the opening credits are the funniest part: Music and Lyrics. The film opens with a perfect spoof of an Eighties-era music video, featuring the band Pop! with Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant). In the video, Hugh Grant looks like an alternate member of Duran Duran, doing dance moves stolen from George Michael or Wham! -- in fact, it might be worth seeing the movie simply for this video. However, the video and some other clever musical moments are attached to a routine and somewhat lackluster romantic comedy.

It turns out that Fletcher's career has declined since the demise of Pop! and he's now performing at state fairs, Knott's Berry Farm, and high-school reunions. He's a hack who doesn't care what happens to the music he writes or performs as long as there's a check in it for him. When teen pop sensation Cora asks him to write a song for her upcoming concert, Fletcher agrees ... but he needs a lyricist in a hurry. Cue Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), a wacky woman who waters his plants and turns out to have a hidden gift for writing pop lyrics. If you've ever seen a romantic comedy, you should be able to figure it out from here.

People don't see romantic comedies because they like unexpected plot twists or innovative storylines; we go to romantic comedies because we like watching two characters who initially may even hate each other but slowly become attracted and overcome all kinds of barriers and jump through hoops to finally hook up by the end of the movie. Predictability of the outcome is not a problem, as long as we have fun getting there. However, Music and Lyrics still doesn't measure up to the standards of romantic comedy. First of all, Barrymore and Grant have no onscreen chemistry together. If this were a film where they turned out to be best friends while pursuing other romantic interests, I'd have found it much more believable. (Plus, he's too old for her.)

Another problem is that their characters have very little dimension, even for goofy romantic comedies. Grant is at his best when he's a bit of a bastard -- see Bridget Jones's Diary and About a Boy for prime examples -- but Alex Fletcher's personality is at best a diluted imitation of these characters. He's defined as a hack who just wants money, and that's all we know about him. Sophie is a reprise of Barrymore's character in Confessions of a Dangerous Mind; when we do find out why she has trouble writing, it's more silly than revealing. I prefer Barrymore when she's playing stronger and more assertive characters, whether it's in Ever After or Charlie's Angels. Here, her googly-eyed performance reminded me too much of Goldie Hawn's kooky characters in 1970s comedies.

It isn't the acting that's at fault here, but the script, which is weak overall. Writer-director Marc Lawrence also wrote the two Miss Congeniality movies and Two Weeks Notice (which also co-starred Grant). Perhaps his movies work better with Sandra Bullock involved. The dialogue is flat and generates laughs only because of the delivery from the actors; at first I thought Grant had all the best lines, then realized he knows how to make any bit of dialogue sound snappy. (He does get to call Barrymore's character "Cole Porter in panties," which isn't a line you hear everyday.) A supporting cast full of character actors with good comic timing helps keep the film as lively as it is, especially Kristen Johnston as Sophie's even wackier sister Rhonda, who nearly steals the film. Indie darling Campbell Scott appears all too briefly as Sophie's evil ex-professor -- I wish we'd seen more of him.

Despite its flaws as a romantic comedy, Music and Lyrics has its entertaining moments. Any time Hugh Grant has to break out those 1980s songs and dance moves in tight pants, the film perks up considerably. (It was a jolt, however, to see that the class reunion where older women all squeal like teenage girls was in fact meant to be for the year when I graduated high school myself.) I liked the silly lyrics -- "Love Autopsy" is right up there with "I'm a Poached Egg" from Kiss Me, Stupid or the songs from Ishtar. The spoof songs work much better than the serious ones, which are a little too syrupy and earnest for my taste. If you thought Bill Nighy's ridiculous Christmas music video was one of the best parts of Love Actually, but also enjoyed the rest of the film, you'll probably get a kick out of Music and Lyrics.