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The online film magazine Combustible Celluloid offers new movie reviews, DVD reviews, film reviews, actor interviews, actress interviews, director interviews, film books and all things cinema related for the thoughtful and passionate. Online for ten years! Over 3000 reviews!

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Music and Lyrics (2007)

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)

Had for a Song

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Music and Lyrics on DVD

Romantic comedy icons Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore team up for the first time in this surprisingly deft, witty film from writer/director Marc Lawrence (Two Weeks Notice). Grant plays a discarded 1980s pop star, a second banana from a Wham!-like group. An opportunity arises to write a song for a Shakira-like performer (Haley Bennett), and he recruits the help of the girl who waters his plants (Barrymore). The pair clicks beautifully. Both are in top comic form and Grant fires off hilarious remarks every few minutes. Lawrence gets other details right, such as the sound quality of the singing and concert scenes, and newcomer Bennett brings a wonderful, mature calmness to her performance. Best of all is the spot-on tribute to 1980s music videos.

DVD Details: The new DVD from Warner Bros. comes with 11 minutes of deleted scenes, a 4-minute "gag reel," a typical making-of featurette, and the complete "Pop Goes My Heart" music video.

Starring: Hugh Grant, Drew Barrymore, Brad Garrett, Haley Bennett, Kristen Johnston, Campbell Scott
Written by: Marc Lawrence
Directed by: Marc Lawrence
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some sexual content
Running Time: 96 minutes
Date: February 14, 2007