Review of You've Got Mail (1998) by Inaneswine — 14 Nov 2017

On the surface, the film is a typical romantic comedy, based on the premise that two business enemies begin anonymously chatting to each other online, and fall in love with each other's nameless identities through the internet. For me, this was the least interesting part of the film. What interested me more was its exploration of the business world, and the moral grey area of huge business chains and franchises sweeping through society, forcing the closure of smaller, family-run businesses that haven't a snowball's chance in hell of competing.

Nonetheless, it is clear that this was not the main point that the filmmakers were trying to show, and what results is a slow romantic comedy, and the romance that ever-so-slowly blossoms between Hanks and Ryan feels all the more forced. Hanks gives a typically great performance, and Ryan isn't too shabby either. It's a shame that they are surrounded by a chorus of one-dimensional characters who really offer nothing of true value to the story, and the plot itself is strained to the point of implausibility. But for most of its runtime, it will keep you entertained.