Music & Lyrics stars Hugh Grant in the role he plays so well in just about every movie he's in, but... he does play it oh so well. Drew Barrymore plays the love interest this time around, and the result is an enjoyable but not outstanding romantic comedy.

Sort of like Notting Hill, only not as good and not as funny and starring Hugh Grant as the famous person for a change, Grant plays Alex Fletcher, a washed-up pop singer from the 1980's who still performs for an ever-aging fan base and spends the rest of his time with his agent (Brad Garrett). When he is asked to write a new song for a hugely popular female singer, he finds his muse in the form of his temporary plant waterer (sic), played by Barrymore. The two quickly strike up a relationship and start working on the song, despite the fact that one hasn't written in years and the other has never written a song in her life. Of course, the two start developing feelings for one another, but is Fletcher really in love with her?

Music & Lyrics works in that its storyline is a bit different from other Hugh Grant movies, despite the fact that everything else is essentially the same. Grant is his normal, neurotic, likable self, and Barrymore is... well, Barrymore. This is a movie designed to make money, and it is a movie designed to win over the largely female audience, which it does quite well. There are few surprises and not very many original things about the conventions of the movie, but that's okay - were you expecting anything more?

I have liked other Hugh Grant movies better, as this one is more cute than it is funny. Notting Hill, for instance, was both romantic and laugh-out-loud funny, while Music & Lyrics offers up some good laughs but all around is just meant to be a fluffy little film meant to win over the women. It is entertaining, even for guys, but definitely wouldn't be my first choice to watch again.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.