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Powell and Loy were in plenty of other films, but they were never better than in The Thin Man series. Their relationship in the films starring Nick and Nora is what any other screen couple could aspire to. The New York Times, in covering Date Night, has compared that film to The Thin Man and, while I could rant and rant for the mere thought of the two movies being compared at all, the aspiration is admirable. At least the folks behind the Carell-Fey film have their hearts in the right place. That said, what Powell and Loy had was an easy charm, something that never had to feel forced. Powell and Loy had what most actors never had, back then or even now: plausibility. It seems simple, but if you watch The Thin Man, it's hard not to imagine these two as an actual married couple.


Harry and Sally

I suppose that When Harry Met Sally could be the reason why we're still stuck with Nora Ephron and her mostly forgettable movies (yes, that does mean that I'm one of the only people in this country who wasn't charmed by Julie & Julia). That said, when you have Rob Reiner at the helm (back when he was making good movies), Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan as the title characters (and try not to strain your brain too hard when you think of those two as big stars, just 20 years ago), the movie's got a good chance. Crystal and Ryan's characters fall in love over a long period of time. They meet in college, they get involved with other people, and try to maintain a friendship for years despite being of the opposite sex. Harry thinks it can't happen without love getting in the way. Sally says different.

Of course, we all know how the movie ends. At the very second that the ball drops at Times Square (yes, this is the kind of movie that does the old New Years' gag), Harry realizes that he loves Sally, and the feelings are likewise. What makes When Harry Met Sally such a classic of the romantic-comedy genre is not its surprising plot. Even the best romantic films aren't too shocking; what makes this movie work is Crystal and Ryan. Crystal may not seem like a typical romantic lead, but his fast-talking nature and self-deprecating charm are incredibly ingratiating. Ryan, of course, has an iconic scene here where she fakes an orgasm in a diner, but her flighty charm was solidified here. The two actors may never have been better, but they're great here.


Alvy and Annie

These days, the Annie Hall routine has gotten old. Diane Keaton has tried it in Because I Said So (and for those of you who've been blessed to not watch this movie, keep it that way) and Something's Gotta Give (a movie where I'm supposed to buy that Jack Nicholson and Keanu Reeves are sexually attracted to her - what a dream world), but it's never really worked outside of the 1977 classic Annie Hall. Woody Allen wrote, directed, and starred in the film as Alvy Singer, a stand-up comedian who falls in love with a truly flight young woman named Annie Hall. The Onion A.V. Club has given a name to the type of character Annie is: the manic pixie dream girl. It's hard not to argue, though the idea that Annie is a) muse-like or b) revolutionary enough to change Alvy is a bit much.

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