You’ve Got Mail
★★★ 1/2
How can you not get sucked into the charm and whimsy of 'You've Got Mail?' I consider myself a rom-com aficionado, but somehow this Nora Ephron classic eluded me. Honestly, on the surface, it always looked too kitschy to me, and, "Let's run it back again with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan." I should've known better because you know, Nora Ephron, but like Kathleen Kelly's (Ryan) bookshop and the coffee shops these "nemesis" frequent, this film is completely warm and comfortable.
It was very enjoyable to see Hanks play against type as a greedy, corporate overlord (but not too evil) and the best way to always describe Ryan is that she is a delight. I was afraid that I was going to compare their chemistry to that of 'Sleepless in Seattle,' and credit to their acting and the script because I didn't think once of that film. This story stands on its own and yes, the technology is outdated, but I didn't think the story leaned too heavily on its AOL premise. What we do get is a lot of fun and clever dialogue amongst all the characters and I was unprepared for the stellar supporting cast (Greg Kinnear, Parker Posey, Steve Zahn, Dave Chappelle, Dabney Coleman, Jean Stapleton, Heather Burns, John Randolph) who all understand Ephron's world completely.
I do question why this story was worthy of being told in a two-hour timeframe, but I completely understand why this movie is so beloved. Ephron lets her two stars cook and that is enough to keep you heavily invested. I do question the championing of emotional cheating on your partner and Kathleen's stunning decision to look past Joe's, what I consider, an unforgivable business ploy. Regardless, the scenery, dialogue and soundtrack all come together seamlessly to produce a film that is nostalgic and timeless—the power of Ephron, y'all.
