You've Got Mail Review
by Robert Workman (DarkFalcon AT webtv DOT net)May 13th, 1999
Bob the Happy Bastard's Quickie Review:
YOU'VE GOT MAIL
Tom Hanks, Meg Ryan, and director Nora Ephron, the team behind the successful romantic comedy Sleepless In Seattle, are back together, this time in New York for the movie You've Got Mail. Fortunately, no postal characters of any kind are featured in the film, as it mostly relates to how Ryan and Hanks have a buddling relationship online between their characters while they're repulsed at what bitter bookstore rivals they are in the real world.
I know, this is a point when you would say, "Isn't it ironic?", but, hey, it's a love story, they'll be together by movie's end anyhow. The movie becomes overly (make that incredibly, please) sappy with music, particularly a nauseating "Over the Rainbow" by music's end, and some parts of the story are incredibly stupid, like Meg's unsurprising fallout with a flirting editor (Greg Kinnear, in an average acting performance). Some of the film's better actors, including Parker Posey and Jean Stapleton, are reduced to bittle film time to give Ryan and Hanks more space, and the whole thing just really comes across as one big box of mushiness, rather than good old-fashioned romance.
At least Hanks and Ryan are suitable, as always, with their roles, and some of their bantering is rather humorous. Ryan emerges unscathed from the mess that was City of Angels as a perky type, and Hanks still proves he can do a normal guy role. It's their movie, you know exactly what'll happen to them from start to finish. If you still care to see it anyway, have a field day. Me? I've had enough sappiness for one day...I'm gonna go watch Evil Dead.
RATING: 4 out of 10
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
