A modern masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (30 January 2001)

"When Harry Met Sally" is certainly the wittiest romantic comedy of all time. It is also perhaps the most daring romantic-comedy ever produced, and I say this out of respect for its sheer honesty about the roles of physical attraction, sex, and friendship between men and women. For a long time I accidentally avoided the film, though as a graduate of The University of Chicago (where Harry met Sally at the beginning of the film), I finally decided to rent the film, a decade after its original release. As it turns out, all this time I have been missing one of modern cinema's greatest masterpieces. Rob Reiner has brought to life a gem of a screenplay, and the inspired performances of Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, as well as the supporting cast, create scenes that capture the true essence of people and relationships as they are in life; I never felt that either Harry or Sally were merely "characters". The chemistry between them worked for me; though at times I did feel that Meg Ryan took Sally Allbright's wilful, almost wooden naivete a bit far. (And to be honest, I fail to see how The University of Chicago could have ever produced a Sally Allbright, whereas Billy Crystal's Harry, with his skepticism, quirky humor, and his insight and questions on the subject of human nature, *would* feel right at home at the U of C. ) All the same, this is not the type of film that comes along every day; Rob Reiner's achievement with this film is of a quality that should stand the test of time. I find it hard to imagine anyone not enjoying this film. My rating: 10/10