The Lake House
I'm already on the record
in this review section that I believe that time travel is a nearly foolproof
plot device. It's nearly impossible to make an uninteresting movie
about the subject.
The Lake House is
further proof of this theory. It is far from being a perfect film, but
it is most certainly an intriguing one and surprisingly enjoyable.
The remake of an obscure Korean film called Il Mare, it is the story
of two people who live in the same scenic house by a lake in Chicago two
years apart from each other. They find a strange time portal in which
they are able to communicate by letters through the mailbox of the home.
The time-crossed lovers are
played with suitable charm and gravitas by former Speed co-stars
Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves. They are both perfect for their
roles. (How about a moratorium on all the snide remarks that Reeves
can't act? He may make more than his share of bad films, but when
given a good script he has a natural charm and a likable style.) Dr.
Kate Forster (Bullock) is immersing herself in her career because she is so
unhappy about her lack of a love life and the lack of passion she feels for
the one man who wants to marry her (Dylan Walsh). Alex Wyler is an
architect who has a contentious relationship with his father (Christopher
Plummer), a legendary architect who looks down at his son for making tract
houses.
One morning, Alex finds a
note from Kate, welcoming him to the lake house and asking him to forward
her mail as she has just moved. The thing is, she wrote it two years
to the day after he gets it. It takes a while for them to realize this
time portal is happening, and even then they find it hard to believe.
Eventually, through letters (though occasionally the voiceover discussions
they have supposedly in the letters have much more of a give-and-take rhythm
of instant messaging or conversation) the two fall in love. However,
time seems to be conspiring against them, and though he is able to meet her
a couple of times in 2004 when she still has no idea what has happened,
every time he tries to reach her in 2006 something gets in the way of true
love.
Does the storyline make
complete sense, even in the context of time travel films? Well, no,
not really. The film tries to be very sensible and true to its central
conceit, but occasionally the cracks of logic do show. Sometimes a movie puts you in the position where you are
either going to buy it or not. Despite a little fractured logic, the
story was compelling enough that I bought it.
(6/06)
Jay
S. Jacobs
Copyright ©2006
PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved.
Posted: July 5, 2006.
