Up until the first New Years scene, I thought ‘When Harry Met Sally’ was good. I think it could’ve ended there. Will they? Won’t they? We’ll never know. And we’re better off not knowing, thank you very much.
My main issue - especially from this point onwards - is the cruel and self-interested Harry, who doesn’t have the courage to let the relationship run its course. And instead makes it all about him, and his own inner conflict.
And for all Harry is concerned, Sally could have been a brick wall.
I can’t believe that the last moments of the film involve Harry moping around on New Years, only to decide he needs to see Sally. And because it’s New Years, he is driven by an artificial urgency to spurt out his half formed feelings ASAP!
And this is what makes me struggle to think that he loves her.
After their New Years makeup kiss, the film - of course - cuts to them three months later, married. I think a more realistic ending would be: THREE MONTHS LATER - Sally is alone. Harry has left her again. (Cut to a 5 hour long scene of Billy Crystal pouting annoyingly at the ceiling).
The film is funny though. A lot of Seinfeld’s best jokes are lifted straight from it. What Seinfeld does well - however - is admit to its own cynicism. When Harry Met Sally tries to cover up its cynicism with a nice bow.
As soon as you look a little further though, you realise that this is a fundamentally sad film.
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