Review of You've Got Mail (1998) by Jim H — 11 Jun 2014

Nora Ephron has a real knack for making totally annoying but totally loveable films! As is the case with Sleepless in Seattle, you know they're going to meet up in the end but getting to the end is a whole other story.

Yes, Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks and Nora Ephron all return to what they do best, make good romantic comedies that feel real, fleshed out and interesting to watch. The great thing about this film is that it doesn't feel like a hack job or a copy and paste of sorts, besides the fact that it came out 5 years after Sleepless, it's made by exactly the same people so it could very easily fall into a cheap cash-in but no! It feels fresh and different, what's extra good is that I saw both of these movies back to back and they just felt so both unique.

Not to totally compare them for the entirety of the review but it's not as good as Sleepless, I feel. While Sleepless was grounded in reality it definitely had a touch of whimsy and fantasy about it, while this one very much does feel realistic but does make you feel warm inside, especially at the last scene.

I do like that they share a majority of time together on screen and their rivalry starts and I like that near the end Tom Hanks' character plays a kind of trick on Meg Ryan's character, like usual, it was fun but annoying to watch.

I just want them to get together again! It's a great film and the stars play off of each other amazingly. Highly recommended.