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Making less-than-beautiful music |
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Written by asap
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Tuesday, 13 February 2007 |
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Caryn: Drew Barrymore. Hugh Grant. A date movie about a washed-out ’80s pop star and a deflated plant waterer who find love in the (guess what comes next here) most unlikely of places. I’m talking, of course, about the new movie about to drop on V-Day called “Music and Lyrics.”
Caryn: You know what I’m talking about, of course, because we saw this movie. Together. What say you?
Lisa: Same song, different verse. It’s a predictable, unimaginative romantic comedy. But it’s like a pop song — sweet, banal and oddly catchy. You really can’t help but like Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore, can you?
Caryn: Separately, yes, Together, well, kind of icky.
Lisa: Did the age difference bother you?
Caryn: No, they just seemed more brother/sister (or niece/uncle) than lovers. Not a lot of chemistry there.
Lisa: But they’re both so ... charming. I kept wondering why I couldn’t see any sparks there. They’re both like little spark plugs. I’m not sure where this went wrong. It boggles the mind.
Caryn: Now, even though the movie was completely predictable, there were some funny moments. I liked the “video” from Hugh Grant’s former Wham-like band called Pop. It was this eerily accurate ’80s videoscape. I liked it because it wasn’t making fun of those conventions as much as celebrating them.
Caryn: Pop music is an important element in most people’s lives. Well, maybe “important” is the wrong word, but visceral. And that Pop song stayed with me.
Lisa: That was the best part of the movie. Unfortunately it was over once the credits were done.
Lisa: There’s something really happy about the ’80s, and Hugh Grant makes a scarily convincing washed up pop star.
Caryn: Frankly, I thought he had way too positive an outlook to be who he was supposed to be. I assure you, that kind of instantly recognizable yet inherently washed-up celeb with an ounce of intelligence has to live a deeply shattering version of “Groundhog Day” the rest of his life.
Lisa: I don’t know, MC Hammer seems to have found peace.
Caryn: MC Hammer found Jesus.
Caryn: And the “Surreal Life.”
Lisa: Hugh Grant found state fairs.
Lisa: And high school reunions.
Lisa: They let him live his little “Groundhog Day” with a small, but still adoring, crowd.
Caryn: I dunno, just didn’t buy it. The only believable character was Drew Barrymore’s sister, that woman from “Third Rock From the Sun.” What’s her name?
Lisa: Kristen Johnston. She was definitely fun as a way-too-adoring fan.
Lisa: But look, if you want realistic characters and plot lines, romantic comedies probably aren’t the place to look.
Caryn: Agreed. But I need to be fully distracted. And I guess this didn’t distract me enough to pull me away from thinking about the details.
Lisa: You’re right about that. I kept wondering what was pulling these people together, other than the script.
Lisa: But since this whole thing’s about music, let’s get to the important stuff: What did you think of the soundtrack?
Caryn: Well, much of the music was by one of the Fountains of Wayne guys ... you know, of “Stacy’s Mom” fame. Although he did not write the ’80s hit from Pop.
Lisa: The ’80s hits were spot-on. But I have to say the supposed mega-hit that drives the movie seemed too sappy for a young Britney Spears type to agree to sing it, as she did in the movie.
Caryn: I dunno. There was an ad for the movie on tonight and I couldn’t see it, just heard it. And it was that song. And I was like, oh, what’s that song? It was in my memory. Like a sticky pop song. So I think it did work.
Lisa: Maybe it worked on the same level this movie does. Infectious, forgettable. Harmless. Would you recommend this for Valentine’s Day?
Caryn: I think I would recommend dressing up in Spandex and dancing around to “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go” with your lover over seeing this movie.
Lisa: You’re such a romantic. I think this one’s a wait-for-Netflix-if-it-doesn’t-hit-cable-first kind of movie.
Caryn: You put the boom-boom into my heart!
Lisa: Yeah-yeah!
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Caryn Brooks is asap’s entertainment editor. Lisa Tolin is the deputy editor. They review movies as Girls On Film. Next time: “Gray Matter.” | Only registered users can write comments.
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