When Harry Met Sally (1989) Directed by Rob Reiner;
Moving towards the end of the plush and synth-wave era of the dreamy 80s of the American Dream, we have “When Harry Met Sally.” Oh, the hype surrounding the movie with its first-time watchers considering it as a tearjerker feel-good movie and its faithful watchers who name it with adjectives like “go to feel good movie, one of the best romantic movies ever.” Frankly, dear ones, the author doesn’t give a damn.
Yes, the author understand that the movie has decent romantic one-liners, but is that enough to keep the entire plot going? For director Rob Reiner, that’s enough. Never have the author ever seen such forced, out-of-nowhere conversations between two strangers shown at the beginning of the movie, at least from the minimal discussions/conversations the author has had with strangers, which are like a handful or more like a palmful. But still, we see two people running into each other in various parts of New York between periods ranging from 5 years to one Christmas, along with the juxtaposition of various “successful couples” who have managed to keep their marriages strong after years, showing no remorse but utter coldness and forceful acting on their parts.
The film is not filled with numerous shots from various places in and around New York. However, what it manages to do and what the author finds too scathing is the commodification and eccentricity of the characters’ lives in their immediate and posh settings. We are transferred from one fine dining restaurant to another, cut scene to other excessive location. The author feels and still is in shock at the impersonality of both the writers and actors on their part where when Harry and Sally have to meet to discuss or talk, it always has to be in a posh tuxedo-one piece suit/dress setting. The film caters to a particular set of people who belong to the upper middle class and, of course, the upper class (how aloof from the world the writers must have been living), portraying scenes and conversations that actually wouldn’t happen between people or at least with people who are buried deep in money. The author felt choked to even laugh, and after actually laughing, the author felt regretful for doing so after one scene in this seemingly canonical movie.
The movie sort of acts as the precursor to the TV show “Friends,” clouding its viewers with the softness of comfort but a veil of ignorance, to quote John Rawls, that actually blinds them. In the phantasmic world in which both the characters and the viewers seem to exist, the success of the movie or the TV show lies in that cue that says “laugh/cry” over their heads that is imbued on them by the commodified world that dictates what is good and what is wrong, along with controlling like puppets our reception and perception to feelings.
Runny Nose Review: 2/10
Hmm…First post to rate Harry met Sally a 2/10 …iconic 😂😂😂
thanqs 🙂