Plot: What’s it about?
Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) was once a household name, part of the ultra popular PoP! musical group, which topped the charts and had legions of fans. But that was in the 80s and since then, Alex’s partner in the group has gone to even bigger stardom, while Alex himself has floundered. He still performs, but not in sold out music halls or arenas, instead he sings to small crowds at class reunions and theme parks. Then his manager Chris (Brad Garrett) arrives with news that could put Alex back into the limelight, as current pop superstar Cora Corman (Haley Bennett) wants to hire him. And not as a novelty act either, but as a fan of his work, she wants him to write a song for her to perform. The problem is that Alex is a genius with music, but not so much with lyrics. He finds some help in an unexpected place, a woman named Sophie (Drew Barrymore) who takes care of his plants. She comes up with lyrics just for fun, but Alex is impressed and asks her to assist him. But can a washed up pop star and an unknown writer manage to create some musical magic?
I am not much on romantic comedies and Music and Lyrics is a good example of why I dislike the genre. The story here is solid, but the filmmakers shoehorn in a romance and it tanks the movie. I guess Hollywood assumes audiences will revolt if there isn’t a love connection, which makes no sense to me. If our leads had remained friends and kept the back and forth dialogue, Music and Lyrics could have been quite fun. But instead, we have this forced romance and it sucks all the fun out, as the romantic chemistry is weak and the whole transition comes off as hollow. I would think a poorly developed romance would pale in comparison to a well developed friendship, but I guess not. Grant is good here, as is Barrymore, but they don’t work well together once the romance kicks in, there is just no real chemistry to speak of. Music and Lyrics turns out to be another weak romantic comedy, but it could have been a solid comedy about two unexpected friends. I can’t recommend this to many folks, but if you’re addicted to the genre and have low standards, a rental is advised.
Video: How does it look?
Music and Lyrics is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. If I didn’t know better, I would assume this transfer was created before the studios had a handle on how to work with the DVD format. I saw a ton of artifacts here, not just a few and they really drag this presentation down the tubes. As if that isn’t enough, there is also thick grain present in most scenes, so this is just beyond belief for a major studio release. The colors look good, but contrast is impacted by the grain, so it isn’t where it should be. Overall, not the kind of transfer fans will be satisfied with.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a romantic comedy, so of course, the Dolby Digital 5.1 option isn’t all that dynamic. As you’d expect, much of the focus is on dialogue and by turn, that means the surrounds don’t pulse throughout. But in this case, there is also a focus on music and that allows some added presence. So while not loud and in your face, the soundtrack does have some depth and provides a little more atmosphere than most films in this genre. This disc also includes French and Spanish language tracks, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes a promotional featurette, a reel of outtakes, some deleted scenes, and a music video for PoP! Goes My Heart.
