MUSIC AND LYRICS (2007) REVIEW

No one would be able to deny that melody in musics, somehow, effects their lives. When something lets you down you tend to play sad musics just to let yourself drown in a mellow melody. When something makes you happy you tend to play cheerful musics just to let your soul and that joyful melody do a suite. But the lyrics? Some people, perhaps don't mind the lyrics at all as long as the melody is into them. Even some musicians, senselessly think that, "they're just lyrics, they're just not as important as melody so it doesn't have to be perfect". I couldn't agree on that. And I so get that why such beautiful melodies within bunch of songs nowadays have lurid lyrics in them (hey I love exaggerate things :p). Why don't they put that beautiful melody along with beautiful lyrics as well.. A perfect song they'll surely have there.

MUSIC AND LYRICS

I’m actually not kinda person who loves drama movies. But I gotta tell this one has seized my interest. I'm glad that I found this 95 minutes Warner Bros Pictures movie. "Music and Lyrics", released in February 2007, kicks off with an 80s-style Wham-like video of a band called as 'PoP!' presented 'PoP! Goes My Heart'. I personally think that song is way much better than songs nowadays. Both melodies and lyrics are just really good. PoP! was one of the biggest bands of the 80s but then Collin Thompson (Scott Porter), their lead vocalist, met a new manager who convinced him he was the star of the band and he left, taking the last three songs they'd written together and putting them on his solo album which went on to sell eight million records. Shortly, PoP! broke up.

Fifteen years after PoP! disbanded, the washed-up singer Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant), one of the PoP founding members, do a complete failure solo-career. This 'has-been' reprising his old hits for his now middle-aged fans in increasingly humiliating venues (such as high school reunions, theme parks, dinner parties, and fairs) to survive. But then a current biggest sensation Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), a huge PoP! fan, asks him to compose a duet for the two of them to be called "Way Back Into Love". Alex and his manager Chris Riley (Brad Garrett) capture it as a big chance to refresh Alex's image and make it back into the popular music. Trouble is, Cora needs the song by only three days, and Alex was never good at writing lyrics. He needs a lyricist but it's not easy to get somebody good that fast.

Accidentally, Alex discovers his temporary plant waterer Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore), turns out a poems and short stories writer. Alex thinks she were born lyricist, but Sophie doesn't think so. Alex convinced her to assist him on the song and he did it. But Sophie takes too long to get inspiration for the good lyrics and Alex getting anxious of little time they have.

Alex     : It doesn't have to be perfect. Just spit it out. They're just lyrics

Sophie  : "Just lyrics"? 

Alex     : Lyrics are important. They're just not as important as melody

Sophie : I really don't think you get it...A melody is like seeing someone for the first time. The physical attraction. Sex.

Alex     : I so get that.

Sophie : But then, as you get to know the person, that's the lyrics. Their story. Who they are underneath. It's the combination of the two that makes it magic.

They managed to finish and submit the song in three days to Cora. Cora likes the song and decides to perform it and put it on her next album. All seems well until Cora adds a 'steamy and sticky' Indian-themed vibe which Sophie thinks it destroyed the spirit of their work. She's going to tell Cora. Alex admits that Cora's addition is horrible too, but refuses to tell her, fears he'll lose the chance to revive his career. A fight ensues, and the two break up.

Cora invited Alex and Sophie to the premier of her new tour. Sophie and her sister surprise when Cora announces a new song that only credit Alex Fletcher as the writer. Sophie begins to leave, thinks how quickly they forget. Instead Alex performs an entirely new song "Don't Write Me Off" written by himself about his and Sophie's relationship, despite his admitted incapability of writing lyrics.

He uses the whole lyrics to say sorry in front of everyone. And the melody is really great. "That song was dinner", Sophie says. And Cora eventually sing the song in it's original format. What happened to 'steamy and sticky'? Haha. Alex convinced Cora to remove the Indian-theme music of "Way Back Into Love" as an attempt to win her back and that did it.

Alex   : I explained to Cora that it violated the very core of the lyric...and corrupted the purity of the song. When that didn't work, I told her it would help me win you back. And that did it.

“In the end the two are back together, each completing the other. (Figuratively and literally. He is the Music and She is the Lyrics)”. —Jane Austen Runs My Life

See, if a song which contains melody, a good melody, but detached from good lyrics it ended up to be nothing. On the contrary, a good melody put together with lyrics that made wholeheartedly will be created a flawless forget-me-not song, that no one could resist to forget about. In my opinion, old songs nailed it :D

DREW BARRYMORE AS SOPHIE FISHER

The other cool thing about this movie is Drew Blythe Barrymore plays a role in it. Drew Barrymore (born February 22, 1975) is an American actress, screenwriter, film director, producer, model and author who is a descendant of the Barrymore family of well-known American stage and cinema actors, and is the granddaughter of film legend John Barrymore. Barrymore plays a wacky plant lady who becomes involved in helping to write a comeback song for '80s has-been Alex Fletcher (Grant) after she blurts out lyrics off the top of her head while in the process of killing his houseplants.

My favourite Music and Lyrics scene is when the two of Sophie and Alex singing Way Back Into Love (demo version) in Alex’s little recording studio. That’s a fun scene considering Barrymore infrequently sings in film where singing was an option. She’s not a ‘no’ person, not a ‘can’t do’ either. But she always been told that she was not allowed to sing and how horrible it was. So she needs to be given a little bit more of chance and some more time and encouragement to finally decide to make her feature film singing debut in Music and Lyrics. I think that was a brave movement, not to think about go down or fail at something you think you can't do but at least try. Just believe you can do anything you put your mind to. Inspiring, indeed :).