Near perfect romantic comedy

Rating: 7/10 (27 November 2012)

Near perfect romantic comedy about two friends who test the myth that men and women can never be "just friends". Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) meet when sharing a long hour car journey to New York after graduating college, spending the time bickering about relationships and life. They eventually agree that men and women can never be platonic friends as sex will always get in the way. They part company and their lives move on, but years later they encounter each other again and the same issue is raised. The real star of the film is Nora Ephron's sparkling script full of fantastic organic lines that flow through the characters and never feel forced. It's written and delivered so expertly it's at times indecipherable from ad-lib. Like all the best romantic comedies it's a film with real heart about believable characters, and the comedy is allowed to stem from that - unlike so many of its contemporaries where relationships seem to have been roughly sketched around a few big set pieces or an overarching concept where the guy is secretly two twins (or something). It begins at a steady pace allowing us to bond with Harry and Sally before asking us to sympathise with them. This deliberate controlled direction by Rob Reiner gives the film some weight as well as humour, not simply rushing the character development to get the gags. Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan are superb as the 'couple' delivering pitch perfect performances that don't overshadow the quality of the material and investing real warmth and likability into the characters. It's a timeless, beautiful film that will still be relevant as long as the question "Can men and women be friends?" is around.