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When Harry Met Sally...

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by Godfather

"Men and women cannot be friends...the sex gets in the way."

OK. Let's get one thing out in the open right now. I am a sucker for the romantic comedy genre. I believe that there is nothing funnier in a movie than the almost doomed-from-the-start attempt of a man and a woman to fall in love and live happily ever after. Combine this with a happy ending (I'm a bigger sucker for those) and if you do it right you have a great movie. And that is what you have with "When Harry met Sally". An intelligent, romantic comedy with the requisite happy ending. And because you have the Hollywood equivalent of the dynamic duo directing and writing (Rob Reiner and Nora Ephrom respectively) it is done right.

Harry (Billy Crystal) meets Sally (Meg Ryan) as they share driving time and expenses from the college they are currently attending to go to college in New York. During the eighteen hour drive they exchange their respective philosophies on life, including Harry's idea that men and women can never be friends because the sex always gets in the way. After arriving in New York they go their separate ways and do not meet again for five years. The mutual dislike which marks the beginning of their relationship is confirmed and they once again depart. After another five years they meet for a third time and, despite Harry's former beliefs to the contrary, they become friends. We follow their friendship together for a span of one to two years (it is never clearly delineated except by the passage of holidays). Of course, during this time they unknowingly fall in love.

Now, in the hands of a lessor pair than Reiner and Ephrom this would have turned out to be the cinematic equivalent of swallowing a vat of honey. Death by sweetness. Instead, the dialogue is very real and very funny. The interaction of Harry and Sally with the two supporting characters (their best friends) played by Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher provides an escape from Harry/Sally overload, and the development of the "love story" is natural if not somewhat predictable (as it has to be in this type of film). It is a romantic comedy that downplays the romance, plays up the comedy, and at all times keeps the level of intelligence at the triple digit IQ range.

"When Harry met Sally" does not pretend to do anything other than what it was intended to do. It is not a piece of cinematic genius and it does not redefine the romantic comedy genre or even set new boundaries for it. What it does do is provide a very entertaining look at the lives of two friends who become lovers. And for this romantic-comedy liking, happy-ending loving, extremely demanding Hollywood bitchslap critic that is all that is important. For a light and entertaining look at the insanity of relationships between men and women, see "When Harry met Sally"

For Hollywood BitchSlap, I'm the Godfather.

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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=2491&reviewer=142
originally posted: 10/25/99 07:23:13

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User Comments

5/08/09 Samantha Pruitt a classic really, funny stuff! 4 stars

8/06/08 Braniff If Harry had killed Sally or vice versa--that would be FUNNY 1 stars

3/03/08 ladavies One of those movies that once I start watching I can't turn the channel 5 stars

1/10/07 David Pollastrini pretty dull 3 stars

4/10/05 dwarzel Only known for one scene--which is only funny once. 1 stars

3/24/05 Michael Lloyd the best romantic comedy of all time 5 stars

12/05/04 Kristina Williams best romantic comedy EVER! THIS is how it's done. 5 stars

6/15/04 T. Maj Billy Crystal and/or Meg Ryan will NEVER be this good again 5 stars

6/06/04 Daveman One of, if not THE best romantic comedy of the last 20 years. 5 stars

9/07/03 Amanda one of my favorite movies of all time 5 stars

8/17/03 Lorraine Wilton timeless comedy 5 stars

6/12/03 Rebo Valence About time one of these romantic comedies had a brain in there. Brilliant! 5 stars

5/01/03 candy it's great 5 stars

1/28/03 Pinkline Jones Celluloid Manure - Orgasm scene totally UNFUNNY. American trash 1 stars

12/07/02 Jimmy Jamez excellent stuff 5 stars

7/25/02 Justin Great! 5 stars

4/10/02 Amelia No matter how many times I watch it, it's always a great laugh! 5 stars

3/15/02 Iris Dementia Preecox Duh! So Sally can fake orgasms. I faked crapping in my pants while watching it! 2 stars

11/28/01 Andrew Carden Enjoyable For The First Hour, but Basically Cracks By The End. 3 stars

10/08/01 R.W. Welch Talky and predictable but mostly amusing romantic comedy; Ryan is near perfect. 4 stars

7/30/01 Tommy "...What great movies are all about!" 5 stars

7/29/01 Henry Ginsberg Great movie . 5 stars

3/16/01 Magali Meg is so beautiful! 5 stars

3/04/01 Jake best romantic comedy ever. 5 stars

2/13/01 Lin Great movie 5 stars

2/05/01 jaba the HUn i cant stand MEg ryan she is so damn annoying and UGLY 1 stars

1/28/01 julio fuck 5 stars

1/13/00 Ann mmm...oh...yes. YES! YES!-it's good 5 stars

10/25/99 BBReBozo The only film in which Meg Ryan's "cuteness" was not fucking annoying as fuck. 5 stars

IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS FILM, RATE IT!
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USA 12-Jul-1989 (R) UK 10-Nov-1989 (15) Australia N/A (M)

Directed by Rob Reiner Written by Nora Ephron Cast Billy Crystal Meg Ryan Bruno Kirby Carrie Fisher Harley Jane Kozak Steven Ford

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