‘I’ll have what she’s having…’
There are some films that everybody should have seen. Indeed, I included When Harry Met Sally on my list of cinematic new year’s resolutions for 2019, and now finally, in the long, hot summer of 2021, I’ve actually watched the damn thing. Pleasingly, that leaves The Dark Crystal as the only film on that list that I still haven’t gotten round to yet. Fingers crossed for 2023…
Harry Burns (Billy Crystal) is a bit of a dick. He treats women shabbily. He condescends to them. And yet, his roguish charm ensures that they flock to him anyway. Sally Albright (Meg Ryan) is not like Harry. She is driven, optimistic and kind. When Harry Met Sally is, as you can imagine, the story of Harry Burns meeting Sally Albright… and then meeting her again and again over a number of years. And it’s mostly wonderful.
Rob Reiner is perhaps one of the most underrated directors in Hollywood. We are talking about a man whose credits include This Is Spinal Tap, The Princess Bride and Stand By Me among many others. He has made as many great films as Scorsese or Tarantino, and he has consistently combined high art with huge commercial success. It is a testament to his abilities as a director that When Harry Met Sally probably wouldn’t crack his top five. The combination of Reiner behind the camera and romcom legend Nora Ephron on writing duties makes for a heady duo. The chemistry shared between Crystal and Ryan ensures that Ephron’s smart script isn’t wasted and a supporting cast featuring Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher (always an utter pleasure to see her on screen in anything) rounds things off nicely.
The sexual politics at the core of When Harry Met Sally perhaps haven’t aged particularly well, and the fact that it takes them so long to get together feels like a bit of a stretch in terms of credulity, but there is no denying that When Harry Met Sally is one of the greatest romantic comedies ever made.
Come for Meg Ryan in Katz Diner, stay for everything else.