Review of You've Got Mail (1998) by Rebecca H — 01 Jul 2011

It's a remake of The Shop Around The Corner. Just this fact seems to get reviewers' backs up (as if The Shop Around The Corner was perfect). And sure, there is a similar theme of enemies (Kathleen and Joe) who unwittingly fall in love through the written word and one whole cafe scene is direct homage, but other than that? The situations and set-up are completely different and the romance is far more central to the plot. It's a romantic comedy. In fifty-eight years, a similar idea is bound to crop up. These days they can't go fifty-eight seconds without dragging out the same tired ideas. You've Got Mail is allowed a mildly similar theme without being ripped apart by ravenous I Heart The Shop Around The Corner critics.

So looking at this as a film in its own right and not just some remake, what's so good about You've Got Mail? Let me explain.

You've Got Mail takes romance and feel-good film cliches, and handles them refreshingly, intelligently and believably. With a witty script and bouncy style, it whisks the audience along with a pleasingly fun feeling and is full of nice details, particularly how in love the meaningless becomes meaningful. Meanwhile, humour and wistfulness are balanced against heartbreaking despair in a skilled and enthralling storm on the emotions while retaining a whimsical magic.

The characters are heavily developed albeit with an air of the fairy tale, lending believability that the leads live full lives interacting with friends and family off screen. Kathleen and boyfriend Frank come to a natural end, unaffected by the central romance of the film. Both this relationship and that between Joe and girlfriend Patricia are subtly set up to show why the couples are together, but that there is no possibility of the long term.

Unlike most rom-coms where the leads start as bickering enemies, then switch abruptly to duvet-wrestling lovers with little explanation, You've Got Mail actually broaches the friendship stage that would surely have to bridge the gap for the relationship to have any vestige of longevity. Joe suffers for the pain he causes the woman he loves. He is a fascinating romantic lead. A callous businessman, with depth and humour as a person. His horror at discovering his anonymous lover is his enemy, the inner turmoil bubbling beneath his eyes for what he has done and his desperation to befriend her and be forgiven when he knows it is too late are all superbly acted by Tom Hanks.

It's a good film.

But it's not a wonderful film. It slips up right at the end. It switches almost entirely to Joe's perspective. This throws off the delicate balance that has been the structure so far. And the last scene doesn't work. Gone is the wit and intelligence of the rest of the film, and we're back in obvious and unsatisfactory rom-com territory. It's an awful lot of build up for such an abrupt ending.

You've Got Mail is certainly one of the best rom-coms, but the ending brutally stops it being a perfect film. Still, if you must watch a rom-com, make it this one.