Happy Valentine's Day out there. And what better way to celebrate than with a fun movie? 2007 already has a great romantic comedy in Music & Lyrics.
The key ingredients for a romantic comedy are obvious -- first of all, it should be funny. Not sour funny like some awful version of Along Comes Polly. Not mean bittersweet crazy-family funny like Rumor Has It. And certainly not nasty argument funny like The Break Up. Hmmm, looking back on all that, I'm thinking a short cut would be to say "not a movie with Jennifer Aniston," and just be done with it. Also, it should be romantic. Seems simple enough, and yet, there are so few good ones. But today we have Music & Lyrics, which is cute funny,...
...musical funny, sweet funny, romantic funny, hysterically laugh out loud funny. And so worth seeing.
And, yes, I'm thinking a short cut to good romantic comedies is that they should star Drew Barrymore. Just her name on the credits tells you the movie will be good natured and have a kind spirit behind it. Think Everlasting. Or Never Been Kissed. Or even 50 First Dates. She's an adorable and believeable heroine in these movies (boy, she's come a long way from not liking ET's feet).
To top it off, in Music & Lyrics, Drew is teamed with the perfect guy romantic comedy star, Hugh Grant. As required in romantic comedy, they meet cute (she's taken over for his plant lady). Alex (Hugh Grant) is an 80s boy-band (think Duran Duran) has-been with an opportunity to make a comeback when a hot young star -- think Britney without the trailer park ambience (the very cute Haley Bennett) -- asks him to write her a song. The only problem is that he's not a lyricist. Amazingly, Sophie the plant lady (Drew) can turn a phrase. Of course they hit a few sour notes along the way, but it's worth every minute.
This movie has a great supporting cast, including Kristen Johnson as Sophie's sister and Brad Garrett as Alex's manager, who really add to the mix. Written and directed by Marc Lawrence, it's full of wry one-liners, most of them delivered by Grant's character. Perhaps what makes it most special is the way the music works its magic on the characters. Overall, a great pick-me-up for the long weekend ahead and a welcome winter tonic.