WHEN HARRY MET SALLY...(1989) ** Rob Reiner does his best to imitate New York Woody Allen, which is interesting if for no other reason than itself. Nora Ephron gives him a few great lines to work with, but the costumes look like costumes and he doesn't have the horses (Billy Crystal, come on; and Meg Ryan, eyes, but puh-leeze). The Spinal Tap stylie docu-interludes of soulmates of every hetero stripe are effective, but the principals are fundamentally uninteresting: if there was an honesty in titling law this would have to be called something like "The Rounding of the Squares." Because Crystal, no matter how desperately decadent without actually firing up a doobie, isn't fooling anyone (even Meg Ryan! is that possible?) with his hokie philosophy, and no one in their right mind could have possibly been attracted to her, despite her reasonable facsimilie of a Farrah Fawcett haircut, even in the afterglow of free love '77. So, to whatever extent it works at all, and there are supportably divergent, very divergent, views on this, it works because we're watching some losers mature to the point where they merge and win, or at least draw. There are some situations where a draw is good, and many people who would settle for, or celebrate, what's pictured here. And if it's better than what they got, I won't say it ain't a blessing.
back to Brilliant Observations on 1776 Films home
go back home, or send me email
no more reviews! I want to buy your novel!