Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #635 in DVD
• Released on: 2007-06-04
• Rating: Parental Guidance
• Aspect ratio: 1.77:1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 104 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
Music & Lyrics is frothy and sweet, like the top of a perfect cappuccino shared a deux. Hugh Grant is a self-professed "happy has-been," playing his befuddled, adorable persona more spot-on than he has since Four Weddings and a Funeral. As Alex, former member of an '80s pop band who years later is playing at water parks and high school reunions, he's settled into a life of lesser expectations. Drew Barrymore, quietly radiant, is Sophie, the underachieving girl Friday who arrives to water--make that overwater--Alex's plants--and to explode him out of that comfy rut. If the plot's a bit farfetched, it matters not, since the two lead characters are so likable--and make such beautiful music together. Big bonus: the supportive role of Kristen Johnston as Rhonda, Sophie's older sis (and longtime Alex fan) whose hilarious performance threatens to steal the show whenever she's onscreen. (The owner of a chain of successful weight-loss centers, Rhonda tries to comfort a rattled Sophie: "Want to do some stress eating?") The film also marks the remarkable debut of Haley Bennett, who plays a pop star of Britney/Cristina proportions with deadpan sincerity radiating through her skimpy outfits and mega-extensions. As Alex and Sophie work on crafting musical magic, something else is taking hold. It's music to the ears of anyone needing a sweet romantic comedy that hits all the right notes. --A.T. Hurley

Synopsis
Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is a cynical and self-deprecating former '80s pop idol who turns down an offer to appear on a reality TV show for has-beens. Instead, he chooses to play the far more dignified nostalgia circuit, and hires the lovely but deeply insecure Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore) to water his plants while he’s away. When Alex is tasked with writing a song for pop starlet Cora (Haley Bennett) in just four days, Sophie reveals herself to be a gifted songwriter and they end up making beautiful music together. Despite this contrived set-up, the film, to its credit, deftly avoids many possible rom-com clichés in favour of organic, character-driven conflicts and comedic situations. As Alex and Sophie fall in love, their relationship begins to mirror the song writing process; they grapple with their creative differences and emotional hang-ups, all the while dealing with the pressures of the music industry. The two leads (aided by great supporting turns from Brad Garrett and Kristen Johnston) manage to pull all this off with a lightness of touch that makes the characters' vulnerability appealing rather than pathetic.

Customer Reviews

Very enjoyable
Just sit back, watch and enjoy. No gun fire, violence or complicated plot, just a gentle romantic comedy. Any film that's enjoyable to watch and leaves you smiling gets my vote. More please!!!

Surprise
Rented this thinking oh well but actually pretty damned good.

Hugh Grant (= rom com) and Drew Barrymore works well, and it's very well written and cast.

Even the extras on the DVD are worth a scan.

Good, cheery, lighthearted fun. Ideal if you're feeling down in the dumps!

Pleasantly surprised
Yes its a lightweight romatic comedy, but its well paced has good sense of self irony and a few genuinely funny moments. At the current price, I would say its a bargain.