RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Music and Lyrics
Music and Lyrics

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Music and Lyrics (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
62 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:159

Fresh:99

Rotten:60

Average Rating:6/10

Consensus: Music & Lyrics is a light and pleasant romantic comedy that succeeds because of the considerable charm of its co-stars. The music segments featuring Hugh Grant are worth the price of admission.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for some sexual content.

Runtime: 1 hr 44 mins

Genre: , Romance, Theatrical Release, Relationships, Singers, Composers, Musicians

Theatrical Release:09-02-2007

Synopsis: Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is a cynical and self-deprecating former pop idol (the hilarious opening video introduces his '80s new wave band Pop!) who is now playing the nostalgia circuit, but has... Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is a cynical and self-deprecating former pop idol (the hilarious opening video introduces his '80s new wave band Pop!) who is now playing the nostalgia circuit, but has maintained enough dignity to turn down an appearance on a "Battle of the '80s Has-Beens" TV reality show. Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore) is a gifted writer with deep inferiority issues who's been hired to water Fletcher's plants, and ends up becoming his emergency fill-in lyricist for a song he needs to deliver to teen queen singer Cora (Haley Bennett) in four days. Despite this contrived "cute meet," the film, to its great credit, deftly avoids many possible rom-com tropes in favor of organic, character-driven conflicts and comic situations. Alex and Sophie fall in love, struggle over their song, and wrestle with their own respective resistance to romantic happiness, while simultaneously coping with the frustrations of the creative process and the demands of the music industry. The two leads (aided by great comic sidekick turns from Brad Garrett and Kristen Johnston) manage to pull all this off with a lightness of touch that makes the characters' vulnerability appealing and not pathetic. The original songs by Adam Schlesinger (the go-to guy for singer-songwriter film music) is charming and catchy. [More]

Starring: Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant, Brad Garrett, Kristen Johnston

Starring: Drew Barrymore, Hugh Grant, Brad Garrett, Kristen Johnston, Campbell Scott, Hayley Bennett, Zak Orth, Brooke Tansley

Director: Mark Lawrence

Director: Mark Lawrence
Producer: Mark Lawrence
Studio: Warner Bros.

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 5 of 23

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for Music and Lyrics

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Grant has the occasional good line (or at least he makes a few of them seem funny), but the film limps along like someone trying to tap dance in flippers.

Full Review Source: Observer [UK] | comment Comment
02/18/07
Philip French
Philip French
Observer [UK]

The leads show all the sexual understanding of strapping two cats together, throwing them in a tumble dryer, and expecting them to mate. When they kiss, it has all the romantic impact of watching Wildlife on One.

Full Review Source: thelondonpaper | comment 1 Comment
02/09/07
Stuart McGurk
Stuart McGurk
thelondonpaper

If you don't expect too much, you won't get too little.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
02/09/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

The film isn't that risky, and the romantic obstacles thrown in the couple's way feel a little perfunctory.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
02/09/07
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

So, this is a passable, often funny rom-com that’ll make an awful lot of Friday-night daters very happy. But it really is high time Grant tried something different.

Full Review Source: Daily Mirror [UK] | comment Comment
02/09/07
David Edwards
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]

This is a highly entertaining little comedy that soars far above the usual level of chick-flick.

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
02/09/07
Christopher Tookey
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

Sorry? If Cole Porter put his name to Barrymore's "Figuring out you and me/Is like doing a love autopsy..." he'd surely have been thrown out of the Waldorf-Astoria in disgust, whatever he was wearing.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
02/09/07
Tim Robey
Tim Robey
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Grant and Barrymore make a reasonable odd couple, and both have charm, but this never comes to life.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
02/09/07
Peter Bradshaw
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It says a lot about the film that the most positive things I can find to write are that Grant has a couple of decent lines and Barrymore has nice skin.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
02/09/07
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

If music be the food of love, Music and Lyrics is a recipe for indigestion.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
02/09/07
Neil Smith
Neil Smith
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Grant and Barrymore just don't have the depth or chemistry to make you care. In short: flat like Milli Vanilli.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
02/09/07
Stella Papamichael
Stella Papamichael
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A routine romcom.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/08/07
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Enjoyable romantic comedy with likeable characters, a decent script and some surprisingly catchy tunes.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
02/08/07
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

A watchable, workaday rom-com with business as usual from the leads, a bland plot and inconsistent characters.

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
02/06/07
Anna Smith
Anna Smith
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Silly and enjoyable, but superficial and formulaic.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
02/03/07
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
04/23/09
Peter Keough
Peter Keough
Boston Phoenix

Move beyond the lame title, and you'll find an unexpectedly good movie, with the inspired casting of Drew Berry and Hugh Grant possessing the necessary chemistry to lift this rote, manufactured story into something appealing.

Full Review Source: Bangor Daily News (Maine) | comment Comment
07/26/07
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
Bangor Daily News (Maine)

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound

Far too little originality ... to make the film anything other than a disposable rom-com triviality.

Full Review Source: Lessons of Darkness | comment Comment
07/03/07
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness

Music and Lyrics could have had more rhythm and a better beat...

Full Review Source: DVDTown.com | comment Comment
05/04/07
John J. Puccio
John J. Puccio
DVDTown.com
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 >> >|
all

Latest News for Music and Lyrics

June 05, 2007: Scott Porter Signs On for a "Speed Racer" Role
Fans of TV's "Friday Night Lights" may be familiar with actor Scott Porter. Movie fans will see him in next year's "Speed Racer" adaptation. More...

April 28, 2007: Trailer & Poster review Opens in new window
More...

March 19, 2007: Box Office Guru Wrapup: "300" Reigns Again as Box Office King
Three new competitors were no match this weekend for the mighty action epic "300," which easily defended its box office crown to rule North American theaters for a... More...

March 12, 2007: Box Office Guru Wrapup: 300 Unleashes Box Office Bloodbath
The mighty Spartans won a glorious victory at North American theaters as the bloody war epic "300" exploded with a record-breaking opening and powered the overall... More...

See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
15% 15% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
68% 68% Funny People
25% 25% Four Christmases
45% 45% Shorts

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Prince of Persia

Prince of Persia

Your first look at the swashbuckler.

Vampires

Vampires

We rank cinema's bloodsuckers.

Avatar

Avatar

The full trailer for Cameron's epic.

2012

2012

12 facts about Emmerich's disaster flick.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
11
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
32
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
16
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
116
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
176
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
130
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
76
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
58
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
37
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
17
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
13
  • Ho, ho, ho! It's RT's Great Big Gift Guide!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
13
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
9
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
20
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Music and Lyrics at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Music and Lyrics at IGN
  • Music and Lyrics at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.