''When Harry Met Sally...'' (1989 movie)- Review

Directed by: Rob Reiner

Released: 1989

Country: United States

Main cast: Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, Carrie Fisher, Bruno Kirby, Steven Ford

Genres: Romantic comedy, Drama

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Review

Harry Burns and Sally Albright first meet while sharing a drive to New York from Chicago. Harry is the boyfriend of Sally's friend Amanda. They don't get along very well. Harry comments that men and women can never be friends, because sex always gets on their way. Sally disagrees. Upon reaching New York, they part their ways, because according to Harry, they cannot be friends.

Five years later, Harry and Sally meet for the second time. Sally is in a relationship, and Harry will be getting married soon.

Five more years later, they meet again. Both are single now... Sally's relation with Joe ended, and Harry and Helen are divorced. Harry and Sally become best friends, with both of them sharing everything with each other, talking on phone late into the night, going here and there, taking meals together. But will they always be able to remain friends, or will it turn into a romantic relation one day?

Their story is told with sudden interruptions, where elderly couples reveal how they had met, how they had fallen in love, how they had got married, and how their love has lasted over the decades.

Nora Ephron's screenplay was extraordinary. The dialogues are witty, the situations are humorous. Near the end, the situations does get a bit serious, but however, the humorous part remains active all the time! Harry and Sally are both remarkable characters. Both are funny and sweet. 

So many hilarious scenes, it would be difficult to mention all of them! One of the funniest scenes was Sally faking an orgasm (and the epic dialogue that follows: ''I'll have what she's having!''). When Jo is going to get married and Sally calls Harry, and she's crying, and taking a tissue paper one after another, that scene was also extremely funny. There are many touching and emotional scenes as well, for example, the ending, and many scenes throughout the film. And then there are the colorful sceneries, backgrounds, and the pleasant background music.

When Harry Met Sally is a lovely and refreshing film. Romantic comedy as a genre is extremely tired, and this is one of the examples of great films in this genre. Rob Reiner's direction is excellent. Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal also give excellent performance. And there is Nora Ephron's screenplay. These make it an excellent film.

4.5 out of 5