A new romantic comedy

Feb 8 2007 Cinema

Mike Davies reviews the week's new cinema releases

MUSIC AND LYRICS * * * *
Cert PG, 90 mins

As huggably enjoyable as it is frothily formulaic, this may not be a Working Title romcom but you’d be hard pressed to tell. It even stars Hugh Grant, here as, quite literally, has been 80s pop star Alex Fletcher.

He’s now making a living working the retro circuit playing to nostalgic 40-year-old housewives but is given a chance to climb back up the ladder when US teen sensation Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), a sort of bimbo Buddhist Britney, asks him to write a song they can duet on her new stage show and album.

Trouble is, he’s not penned a tune in ten years, he can’t write lyrics and Cora wants it in three days.

However, the answer to his prayers is at hand in the shape of stand-in plant lady Sophie (Drew Barrymore), a natural born lyricist whose older married sister (a scene stealing Kristen Johnston) has had a pash on Alex for 20 years.

However, an ill-explained backstory involving an affair with a tutor (Campbell Scott) who turned her into the harpy of his best-selling novel, means she’s reluctant to start writing again. Fortunately for the slight plot, not that reluctant.

Yes, it’s Hugh Grant doing Hugh Grant and yes it’s a predictable tale of blossoming romance, misunderstandings, selfishness, recriminations, break ups and an "I’ll have to say I love you in a song" happy ending.

But peppered with crackingly witty one liners, smart pop industry send-ups, impeccable comic timing, and the terrific chemistry between Grant and an irresistibly loveable Barrymore, it’s also impossible to dislike.

The opening spoof New Romantic music video of Pop There Goes My Heart with a tight-trousered Grant hilariously channeling Wham-era George Michael and Simon Le Bon is worth the ticket price alone.

• FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION * * *
  Cert 12A, 86 mins

With the BAFTAs on Sunday and the Oscars just two weeks away, this a timely comedy for the awards season from the team behind A Mighty Wind and Best In Show.

However, while retaining the trademark improvisational approach, this time director Christopher Guest and co-writer Eugene Levy have forsaken their usual mockumentary format in favour of letting the ensemble cast loose on an actual plot.

Having first satirised Hollywood in 1989’s The Big Picture, Guest’s second bite at the hand that feeds follows the farcical developments when internet chatter suggests Marilyn Hack (Catherine O’Hara) and Victor Allan Miller (Harry Shearer), the two has been stars of Home For Purim, a rubbish low budget Jewish melodrama being directed by the inept Jay Berman (Guest), are being considered for Oscar nominations.

There’s not a grain of truth to the rumours, but that doesn’t stop everything going into overdrive, as hopes are raised, egos are inflated, Victor’s useless agent (Levy) flaps, romantic item co-stars Callie Webb (Parker Posey) and Brian Chubb (Christopher Moynihan) burn with envy and, sniffing potential awards, the boorish studio suits (Ricky Gervais, Larry Miller) move in and insist the writers (Michael McKean, Bob Balaban) change the title and tone down the Jewishness to make it more mainstream.

The targets are as broad as the characters are exaggerated parodies of Hollywood vanities and insecurities, but it’s no less frequently hilarious for that. Echoing her turn in A Mighty Wind, O’Hara manages to find notes of immense sadness and poignancy amid Hack’s ridiculousness.

Some of the industry in-jokes may go over the heads of most, but there’s some wickedly funny moments here – Jennifer Coolidge’s empty-headed producer, John Michael Higgins’s clueless publicist asking if internet is the one with e-mail and a wildly mugging, crazily attired Fred Willard spraying non-sequitors and surreal absurdities as the barking co-host of a TV showbiz gossip show.

And if you think they’re making it up, just tune in and watch those acceptance speeches.

• CHARLOTTE'S WEB * * * *
  Cert U, 97 mins

E.B. White's children’s story with its message about friendship and gentle introduction to the miraculous natural cycle of life and death, has been enchanting generations for more than 50 years. There’s been a cartoon version but now technology finally affords a proper live action adaptation in the manner of Babe with real CGI enhanced animals.

Indeed, its story of how young piglet Wilbur is saved from becoming smoked ham by, first farmer’s daughter Fern (Dakota Fanning), and then wise word-spinning spider Charlotte (Julia Roberts) has much in common with Chris Noonan’s beloved classic in its tone and message. As the voice of Wilbur, young Dominic Scott Kay even sounds like Babe.

It’s perhaps to be regretted that director Gary Winick felt the need to cater to lowbrow juvenile tastes with contemporary wise-ass dialogue from an otherwise brilliantly rendered Templeton the rat (Steve Buscemi) and some bovine fart gags. But neither this nor John Cleese's Basil Fawlty-sounding sheep can dent the inherent charm spun out by Fanning's winning Fern, Roberts' tender-hearted arachnid, Danny Elfman's lovely pastoral score and the heartwarming story itself.

• GOAL II: LIVING THE DREAM * * *
  Cert 12A, 112 mins

Two years on from Mexican immigrant footie whiz Santiago Munez (Kuno Becker) becoming the golden boy of Newcastle Utd, it’s time for the Fifa-endorsed second half.

Now skippered by House of Wax director Jaume Collet-Serra, the players head back on to the pitch to kick around a few more clichés.

The plot makes Footballers’ Wives look like Citizen Kane as Santi gets an offer to join Real Madrid alongside Beckham,