Music and Lyrics (2007)

I freely admit that I am a huge fan of the romantic-comedy genre of movies. Something about the odd situations where a couple meet, fall in love, have some kind of misunderstanding only to reunite in the end so that love can conqueor all really tugs at my heart strings. 2007's Music and Lyrics is one of those films - light yet plausible and a great distraction on an overcast Sunday afternoon like today.

The film stars Hugh Grant as 80's has-been pop singer Alex Fletcher, the less successful member of the former band Pop!, who is perfectly happy playing reunions and state fairs. But that well is starting to dry up, so his manager (played by Brad Garrett) gets him a chance to write a song for a hot young musical artist named Cora (played superbly by newcomer Haley Bennett). Problem is that Alex only does music, not lyrics. Enter underachiever Sophie (played by the ever likeable Drew Barrymore), who seems to have a natural knack for writing lines. Alex and Sophie collaborate on the song and end up falling in love.

One of the best touches of the film is the music video for "Pop Went My Heart", the big hit single of Alex's band Pop! (a very thinly disguised homage to Wham!) back in the mid-80's. The film opens with that and it is spot on to the times. Make sure to see the video resurface at the end during closing credits as well, with an added bit of "pop" to it. Very fitting.