One of the Greatest Romantic Comedies

Rating: 9/10 (1 August 2019)

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"When Harry Met Sally" is easily one of the greatest romantic comedies of all time. It is short in duration, it is extremely watchable, Nora Ephron's script is hilarious, and Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan both give fantastic performances. There is very little to dislike about this movie if you are looking for entertainment. However, this is in no means an artsy film or a game-changer, but simply something that will definitely put you in a good mood.
When Harry met Sally... they hated each other. Their actual meeting for the first time was nothing special at all: Harry's girlfriend at the start of the movie was a friend of Sally's, and Sally was simply driving Harry back to New York from college because she lived in New York as well. It only takes a couple of minutes into their journey to New York to make it apparent that the script will be full of philosophical discussion between the two of them (as well as other characters) just like most Richard Linklater films. It is an interesting notion that the main point of Harry's initial discussion with Sally is that the two of them can never be friends because the "sex stuff" always gets in the way of a man and a woman - yet 10 years after they meet, they become "just friends" (but do we really believe that?).
There is a very creative scene in the movie about two thirds of the way through where a friend of Harry's and a friend of Sally's are now a couple, and they are each talking on the phone simultaneously with Harry and Sally respectively. Really interesting editing is applied here to get all four characters on the screen at once, each taking up about a fourth of the screen. It is three separate images, the first image being an image of the couple in bed, and the other two being superimposed images of Harry and Sally on opposite ends of the screen while they are each on the phone. It is one of the most creative scenes in Rob Reiner's filmography.
Above everything else, "When Harry Met Sally" has a lot of heart, which comes in different forms. It has heart due to its sense of humor, it has heart by showing a lot of emotion between Harry and Sally later in the film, and every now and then, the movie cuts to different couples explaining how they met and when they knew they were meant to be together, putting a smile on the audience member's face. It is also a joy to watch Harry and Sally grow as people as they become friends (which is against Harry's initial beliefs) and as they realize their feelings for each other, even if they do not admit those feelings immediately. From the famous "I'll have what she's having" moment to the finale at midnight on New Year's Eve, "When Harry Met Sally" is a triumph of a motion picture, capturing our hearts and holding on throughout.
"When Harry Met Sally" might not be a masterpiece in terms of technicality (it is pretty simply shot and edited aside from that creative scene mentioned above), but it is a film many should experience just for how enjoyable it is. It is a great love story and highly re-watchable.
9/10