A Review of "Music & Lyrics"

I think that by now we can all categorise ourselves into two groups; those that love Hugh Grant and those who definitely don't. I happen to be part of the 'love' group and, therefore, took great pleasure in sitting through another two hour session of puppy dog eyes, that inflective accent and that sideways glance he does when he's feeling confused… you know the one! It is a typically Hugh Grant flick, complete with corny clichéd lines and the female love interest with a confused and neurotic girl.

However, even if you are not a Hugh Grant fan, this film is worth seeing if ONLY for the first four minutes. Let me explain.

The movie opens with a video clip in which Hugh Grant's character, Alex Fletcher, is the equivalent of Andrew Ridgeley in 'Wham!' only this band's name is "Pop!" Alex is struggling to find his spotlight next to the George Michael-like lead singer, who prances around looking incredibly hot in his tight white spandex 80s style pants, while Alex fumbles around in the background doing strange lunge-like movements. The song is very, very similar to a once popular "Wake me up before you Go-go" as is the video, set in a white room with revolving walls, along with the hospital scene where Alex lies in a coma while some young hot thing in a nurse's outfit revives him back to life and they fall in love. Absolute, laugh-out-loud 'til you're embarrassed by yourself, eighties magic!

Yes, it is a love story, about an eighties 'has-been' pop star and his plant-waterer/ lyricist, Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore). He has the chance to revive his career by writing a song for a gorgeous, young, Shakira-type, Buddhism-loving American singer siren. Of course, he has three days to write it, he gets writer's block, his Magnum PI-like manager is freakin' out at him and suddenly, Sophie pops in to announce she is the new plant waterer for his apartment. Boom- she overhears their dilemma, mutters a few lines for the song under her breath, Alex catches on, won't leave her alone until she agrees to write for him….love affair begins. Love affair ends up on the rocks over the couple's battle over morals, ethics and money…and finally the feuding couple end up on stage in front of millions of people at a rock concert kissing and making up.

Yes- I know, we have seen it all before. Totally predictable, and totally belly-ache funny. If you can appreciate the eighties, this movie is a must. Most of our readers didn't live through this period but this movie is still hilariously entertaining.