You've Got Mail

Meg Ryan was the reigning "Queen of Rom-Coms" for good reason-...she was charismatic, humorous, and attractive in a wholesome way that appealed to millions. This worked wonders in "French Kiss," "I.Q.," and "When Harry Met Sally." Tom Hanks was more into dramas, with two Oscars and a long list of nominations before "You've Got Mail" was even an outline. While "Sleepless in Seattle" and "Joe Versus the Volcano" were huge hits, "You've Got Mail" was a faint echo of their more memorable collaborations.

Mail is a representation of the real-life battle between Barnes & Noble (represented by Hanks as Joe Fox of Fox Books) and small, novelty bookstores (represented by Ryan as Kathleen Kelly of Shop Around the Corner). While at war in business, Fox and Kelly are (unbeknownst to them) in a romantic relationship online.

To be true to the formula (many films tackling this plot with the dawn of internet dating), neither character must know their identities until the final meeting scene in which they decide whether their love is stronger than their rivalry. Fox, however, finds out about their online romance, and gives Ryan several hints before they meet. This takes all the shock and surprise out of the meeting scene, leaving only Kelly's reaction a mystery. Fox's hints/tests then come off as stalling before the inevitable finale.

Hanks and Ryan didn't seem to care much about the film either. They were fairly charming, seemed to get along well, but their romantic chemistry was nonexistent and most of their comedic scenes seemed like poor imitations of more successful scenes in other movies. The film boasted an impressive auxiliary cast, which added little more than names to the credits.

True connoisseurs of romantic-comedies will be disappointed. Skip this film and buy "Sleepless in Seattle" instead.