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Three out of Five stars
Running time: 104 mins

Enjoyable romantic comedy with likeable characters, a decent script and some surprisingly catchy tunes.

What's it all about?
Hugh Grant plays Alex Fletcher, a has-been 80s' pop star now making his living by shaking his thing for the 40-something nostalgia crowd. However, when pop princess Cora (Haley Bennett) asks Alex to write a song for her, he jumps at the chance, in spite of the fact that the deadline is only a few days away and he's great with music but terrible at lyrics.

Luckily, Alex's ditzy plant lady, Sophie (Drew Barrymore) displays an unexpected gift for words. She agrees to collaborate on the song and they spark off each other both professionally and romantically, but time-honoured rom com complications quickly ensue: Alex is something of a commitment-phobe, whilst Sophie is still traumatised by her break-up with smug author Sloan Cates (Campbell Scott).

The Good
The characters are extremely likeable and Grant and Barrymore have genuine on-screen chemistry together, although it's a shame that the film steers clear of addressing the age-gap issue. The film's never exactly laugh-out-loud funny, but there are several witty lines that will keep you smiling throughout and the script is well-observed. For once, the characters' big dramatic argument is actually about something believable.

The film's biggest success lies in the music sequences: Grant is superb in the concert scenes and the song-writing process is handled convincingly. It also helps that the song itself is surprisingly catchy – you'll probably find yourself humming it on the way out of the cinema.

The Great
There are also two amusing pop pastiches – an hilarious 80s-tastic video for Alex's Pop Goes My Heart and an over-the-top Britney-esque video shoot for Cora's Welcome to Bootytown. In addition, there's strong support from newcomer Haley Bennett and Brad Garrett as Alex's manager, whilst Campbell Scott contributes a reliably slimy cameo.

Worth seeing?
The combination of a decent script, likeable characters and catchy tunes make this the perfect Valentine's Day date movie. Worth seeing.