When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  7 / 10

  When Harry Met Sally is a fresh modern take on the tired romantic comedy genre. Suffice to say throughout the course of Hollywood, we have been faced with many romcoms with most ultimately failing. However, the late 80's and early 90's added many entries that reinvigorated the genre. In this sweet flick, sweet and sarcastic Harry meets sweet and beautiful Sally. Then the sweet couple meet again. And then again...and again. Oh, and again. Basic plot full of conveniences, but director Rob Reiner took the risk of removing a complex and captivating story to flesh out the characters. I can see why this is popular yet I do see issues that detract from my personal enjoyment with the film. Firstly, I adored the minimalistic approach that Reiner took. Just two friends communicating. That's all this film is. There is no plot device. Instead we experience the natural progression of two friends slowly falling in love as they spend more time together. Incredibly relatable and insufferably sweet. The only thing sweeter than this is a bowl of sugar. The narrative boasts an utterly witty screenplay that brings these characters to life. Perhaps slightly too focussed on the topic of sex. Billy Crystal's Harry is brimming with sarcasm and a dark intelligent sense of humour whereas Meg Ryan's Sally reeks of innocence and exhumes optimism. The juxtaposing personalities make for some compelling conversations including, but not limited to, an orgasm reenactment in the middle of a diner. Sally's got balls. Big balls. Meg Ryan's performance was solid however I felt Billy Crystal was too monotonous in an attempt to come across as sarcastic. Didn't really connect with him. The lack of substance within the plot does unfortunately prevent a thrilling story and I did occasionally find myself disconnected with the narrative. However this is just a personal preference. As a romcom, When Harry Met Sally is refreshingly innovative that can be enjoyed by all, just too sweet and thinly plotted for my liking. This is as much fun as observing two young people's lives should be.

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