Music and Lyrics

Alex Fletcher (Hugh Grant) is a former sideman from a Wham!-inspired '80s new wave band called 'PoP!,' who gets the promise of a career boost from slinky Cora Corman (Haley Bennett), a Britney Spears-like singer who appoints Alex to write a duet song called "Way Back Into Love." With only melody writing as his strong suit, Alex persuades his loquacious substitute houseplant keeper Sophie Fisher (Drew Barrymore) to help him write a song that Cora must choose over versions she assigned to other musicians. The novelty of comedic musical hooks, and the eye pleasing coupling of Barrymore and Grant, dissolves with writer/director Marc Lawrence's ("Miss Congeniality") predictable storyline.
Rated PG-13. 86 mins. (C) (Two Stars)