Terrific Comedy

Rating: Null/10 (24 July 2008)

When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
**** (out of 4)
Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) meet right after graduation on a road trip to New York but don't hit it off too well but over the next twelve years they become friends, lovers and enemies. I'm a die-hard fan of classic Hollywood and whenever someone mentions the greatest romantic comedies of all time they usually stick to the films of the golden era that featured Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn and the likes of them but for my money this film here gives any of them a run for their money. This is an incredibly smart, witty, romantic and at times depressing look at the lives of two people who were meant for each other even though neither one of them might know it. A lot of romantic comedies out there are aimed directly at women or directly at men but that's not the case here as both sexes can really enjoy what's going on here because I think the film does a wonderful and hysterical job at showing both sides and how they look at certain issues. The screenplay by Nora Ephron is incredibly well written and hits on all sorts of subjects ranging from death to marriage and of course sex. The way the screenplay builds up the two characters is so well written that I might even say that this is one of the greatest character developments in the history of cinema. The real magic of the movie comes from Crystal and Ryan, who in my opinion, give the greatest performances of their careers. Everything from the way they talk to the way they walk really brings the characters to life and seeing them work together is just pure magic and something Ryan never could recreate in all of her future films like this. Crystal really stands out and delivers a hysterical performance with all his quick one-liners and facial gestures. Carrie Fisher and Bruno Kirby also add great support as the friends.