Great Romantic Comedy

Rating: Null/10 (28 September 2003)

The good romantic comedy is a rare breed indeed. Many start off well, but then too drippy, too mean-spirited, or just plain unfunny. A movie that stays sweet, funny and good hearted from start to finish is to be cherished and this is it.
When Harry Met Sally is one of those films that many people have seen a dozen times and still enjoy. It covers a period of a decade or so when Harry Burns (Crystal), a self confident, wordy, cynical writer first meets Sally Albright (Ryan) and uptight, perfectionist, a truly high maintenance woman. Or has Harry calls her, the worst kind, high maintenance who thinks she is low maintenance.
They meet to drive to New York together, hate eachother, meet again in an airport five years later, hate eachother a little less then meet in a book store five years after that, to discover they have both been dumped and have more in common than they think.
They become friends. They date and share experiences. They try to set eachother up with friends and then the inevitable happens. They spend the night together and we spend the balance of the film discovering whether or not their friendship was love, and if it can survive a night of sex.

This set the stage for all other Nora Ephron offerings. The movie does not miss its tone for a second. Rob Reiner keeps it funny, lets us in on the characters flaws, but at the same time, makes us care about them rather than be repulsed by them.
I have seen this film at least 10 times and would watch it again in a heartbeat. It is likely the best date film of all time, and can be equally enjoyed by both sexes. It is funny from the first frame to the last features a great soundtrack from Harry Connick. **** out of ****.