OK – I know, this entry doesn’t have the most macho of titles. Unfortunately, it’s true. I like chick flicks.
Today, the three of us (Helaine, Stef and me) sat and watched Music and Lyrics. This was a Netflix ‘sneak in’. We had “Walk the Line” for over a month without watching it and finally gave up, sending it back
Music and Lyrics is the story of has been pop star Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant). When Cora (Haley Bennett), a scantily clad Britney – Christina – Shakira wannabe wants a new song from Alex, Alex needs a lyricist. That’s where substitute plant wrangler, Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), comes in.
Here’s my sad admission. The story is contrived. It didn’t make any difference.
Johnny Carson used to say, “You buy the premise, you buy the bit.” I did. I did.
Boy meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy gets girl back. No surprise there. It was a sweet, unencumbered love story… though Hugh (sadly) seems a lot too old for Drew.
It was tough to watch, especially the performance sequences, and not think of Rick Springfield, Helaine and Stef’s favorite 80s pop star. No hits in decades and he consistently packs ’em in.
As has been the case in a lot of the movies I’ve seen recently, the supporting cast made a huge difference. Brad Garrett was very good, but it was Kristen Johnson (remember Third Rock From the Sun) who dominated every scene she was in.
I was surprised to see Aasif Mandvi of the Daily Show in a tiny role with one short sentence of dialog. So that’s how you get to the Daily Show. Who knew?
Forty years ago, James Garner or Rock Hudson was doing this movie with Doris Day. Today, it’s Hugh Grant comfortably playing the clever guy who doesn’t take himself too seriously and Drew Barrymore as the somewhat less chaste Doris.
It still works.