When Harry Met Sally: Iconic in Every Way

I was bored yesterday after work, but didn't feel like finding a movie on Netflixs that was going to disappoint me, so I popped in the old stand by. Harry Met Sally is the ultimate rom-com, and one of my favorite movies to watch over and over again. There is just something about Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan and the magic of watching the greatest character development of all time.  Any critic will tell you that this film is iconic, but here is why I love it and think you all should give it a chance. 

The plot if somewhat complex, but works. Spanning Harry and Sally’s meetings by five years makes time progress naturally, and also lending to the building of their relationship. Harry and Sally did not see each other and fall head over heels, which, in my opinion is fantastic. Actually, at first they hate each other. But their paths continue to cross and they realize that they balance each other the way that two lovers should.

Though I am the first to admit that Billy Crystal as a player is a bit of a stretch, he steals my heart every time and I find myself falling for it even though I have never known any players that wear cable-knit sweaters. Meg Ryan is brilliant. She plays OCD so well. I love the way they made her ordering so specific and over the top. I think we all know people like this, who just want what they want the way they want it and really, there is nothing wrong with that. Both characters start off a bit annoying and grow into themselves. The writer did a fantastic job of keeping their ideals the same, but letting them mature and have multiple sides.

The big debate for this film is whether or not men and women can be friends. Age old question that I think is the cornerstone to most relationships, and likewise, is the basis for this film. No matter what you believe, I can;t help but notice that the story really supports both sides. Sure Harry and Sally are friends for a long time, but it ends up becoming something more, so doesn't that actually support the idea that they can't be friends? Harry may have a point. They couldn't be friends, they were meant to be more. 

Following the idea of development, one of my favorite things that they did was showcase other couples at breaks in the story, who talk about how they met and how they fell in love. Each couple ends by saying how long they have been together which is normally 35, 45 or 50 years. Most movies today talk about beautiful people getting together and how hot and heavy it is, but we never see something that lasts. They get together for the last scene, but i think it is way more powerful to show the couples who, maybe aren't perfect, but exemplify the relationships we all want. Something real.

Noteworthy: Shout out to the writers who have perfected one liners. I use the saying "white-man's overbite" all the time.
Second shout out to the Sally's hair stylist. If I haven't won you over, you must see this movie for the great 80's hair and clothing. Brilliant. 

TV Interlude: Mad Men

Working for an ad agency makes it essential to watch this show, though I have to say that I don’t get it because at my job I am surrounded by so many women it’s funny. But we are also small scale, so fighting for recognition is a little different. Still, it was demanded of me that I find out what this series is about and, though I am not caught up yet, I have a few thoughts…

First off, the genius of the show lies in the fact that Don Draper is a dog, I mean a truly awful person, but for some reason you root for him. Even when he is trying to hook up with girls that aren’t his wife, like the Jewish store owner in the first season, I’m secretly thinking “come on, just give him a chance.” Weird considering the fact that the reason I dislike most of the other characters is because they are consistent cheaters. 

It is this dislike of the mousey Peggy, and the slimy Pete that makes me want to skip their storyline completely. Is it just me or do they both just constantly whine? It’s the fact that I feel so bad for her and the other wives that I listen to Betty’s woes. They are silly and trivial, but the poor girl can’t help it. I am, however, intrigued by the Barbie-like Joan, who seems to have the whole feminist act down pat. She uses her sexiness the way that many girls do at bars now-a-days, so intentionally and purposefully that the male counterparts don’t realize how manipulative she is. I wonder if guys today have caught on yet. 

The acceptance of cheating and of this lavish lifestyle that the ad men led has me hooked though. I want to see if they will destroy their careers, because, despite it all, they are mildly talented. It is amazing that these lifestyles were the norm in the 1950’s, and that the wives of these men put up with it as much as they did. The tangled dishonest web is hidden by an outer image that is glamorous and wonderful and that is why, I believe, people are hooked. We want to see what will break through. 

I’m only the first season in, so I have yet to make my final decision. 

And, because I bore easily, look out for more TV interludes in the future.

Young Adult: Deep and Depressing Reality

I did not want to see this movie after watching the previews. I did after reading the reviews. Turns out the actual film is somewhere in-between the rants and the raves, in that it is not so much a dark comedy as it is just, well, dark. My friend and I were sorely disappointed that we didn’t laugh at all, just covered our faces in embarrassment for the pathetic sole that is Charlez Theron’s character, Mavin. 

It’s true that this is probably pretty true to life. Very realistic in the fact that some people move away from small towns and are miserable, and others stay and are happy. It’s also true that most of the time, in life, we don’t learn the lessons. We do stupid things, and we continue to do stupid things just because.

The costuming was brilliantly juvinille. I loved that she sported oversized glasses, ratty bun hair and a hello kitty t-shirt with plad pj bottoms most of the time. Very teenage-ish.

The big mistake that was  her age. 37? Really? No one would be that out of control at 37, I’m sorry you just blew it. I think if they had taken ten years off the character I would have been more likely to say “ya, totally.” 

I’m torn about the relationship between Mavin and the loser from high school who bonds with her over their completely selfish and pathetic lifes. It was fine, platonic but cute because they were kindred spirits, until (spoiler alert) they slept together. This ruined the one story line that I actually liked, leaving me feeling hopeless and pissed.

But I guess that was the point of the movie. Life is messy, and most of the time you do something stupid that ruins the good in it. 

Still, I would rather see a happy ending which is why this one fell flat. 

Hungry for More: The Hunger Games

I thought I would give it some time for the glory of the Hunger Games to settle down before talking about it. For those of you who have read the book, I think you will be pleased by the adaptation, it does a pretty good job of sticking to the story, with some slight tweaks to keep the ball rolling. 

The casting was relatively correct, I say relatively because, though I love her and think she is a tremendous actress, when I was watching the movie I was overcome by the fact that Katniss was just too big. She was about twice the size of some of the other characters and looked like the obvious winner. It was nothing that  Jennifer Lawrence, could do really, she played the part well, her facial expressions were perfect. But she was just…too old, and you could tell. In the scene where Clove is on top of her with a knife, all I kept thinking was, “dude you are twice her size, just throw her off you, there is no way she could pin you like that.”

I was pleasantly surprised with Peeta. He's not my favorite character in the book because he seems, well, weak compared to Katniss, and who wants a guy who's weak? Which is why rugged, manly Gale (though he did not fulfill my expectations but we will get to that in a sec) seemed like the obvious choice of a love interest to me. But in the movie, Josh Hutcherson made me root for him and, more than anything else, he stayed true to the character without overdoing the hopeless romantic stereotype.

Shout outs to the perfection that was Essie and Haymitch. Thumbs down to whoever style Gale, he was supposed to be rugged and poor, not a featured Abecrombie model with perfect hair and not a spec of dirt on his perfectly pressed white shirt. 

The cinematography was the other thing that got my attention. Rarely do I sit in a film and think, “Wow, the camera angles are awesome,” but that is what I was doing during parts of this movie. They did a great job of catching the essence of each moment – with the close ups when something serious was happening, and the longer shots to show how massive the capital was, the bleakness of the Districts or the intense landscape of the games. Some of the shots were just genius, keeping the story close to the audience and making it feel intimate, just like the novel. 

Can't wait for Catching Fire? Neither can I.