1.21.2007

The Lake House starring Keanu Reeves & Sandra Bullock


Dr. Kate Forster has finally found romance. Trouble is, it's a long-distance relationship. She's in downtown Chicago. He's in a remote lakeside suburb. And there's more: She's in 2006. He's in 2004. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock team up for the first time since Speed for this heart-lifting story of a love that transcends time. It begins when Kate moves out of her visually stunning lake house and leaves a note for the next tenant, architect Alex Wyler. They begin a correspondence and soon come to realize they are meant for each other...and that, somehow, they live two years apart. Can they ever meet? What would happen if they tried? Magical and emotionally rich, The Lake House is a love story for 2004, for 2006, for all times.

Summary from: Back of DVD

Rating: 5

My obsession with Keanu Reeves aside (I've crushed on him since the very first time I saw him in Speed and although throughout the years I skipped watching his other movies that came out, still, I like him!), this movie was simply the best ever! Not to mention it's my favourite movie genre too!
Romantic/Feel-Good/Time Travelling/Drama movie.

Although Keanu's acting never changed throughout the years (he still has that monotone sound to his voice, but like what I said to my sister, I'd rather watch him act than Orlando Bloom -- let's face it, Orlando's a pretty boy, but he seem to only have one facial expression! ), he sure knows how to carry a romantic movie very well. If you don't believe me, watch A Walk in the Clouds and tell me if you weren't sent to a tizzy daydreaming about a good-looking war soldier who wasn't only charming, a gentleman and sweet, but a hero nevertheless!

The Lake House started off with Kate Forster (Sandra Bullock) leaving this awesome looking house on the lake. She left a letter in the mailbox before driving off. Just as her car passed the turn off leading to the lake house, the camera changed; it's still the same scene but you can tell that it's a different time by the way the lighting changed, and an old, beat-up green truck entered heading towards the direction the car came from.

The new tenant, Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves). He picked up the letter left by the previous tenant in his mailbox and read it. He was confused when she mentioned paw prints and a box in the attic.

I don't wanna spill anymore of what happens after that, but the circumstances that led to Alex and Kate exchanging letters were poignant, sweet, and giggle-worthy. The director, Alejandro Agresti, played it as though the couple were speaking to one another even though they were from different years.

A key scene that occurred nearing the beginning of the movie, just as Kate got settled in Chichago played a vital part nearing the end of the movie. However, as soon as I saw that scene something in my gut told me that the man involved was Alex; the camera didn't do any close-ups and...well, maybe I've seen one too many movies like this hence why I think it was pretty predictable what happened, but that point in the movie was what propelled Kate to get away from the city and go to this one place she felt more herself; it was an advise given to her by the head doctor at the hospital she worked at.

Kate & Alex became a couple regardless of the gap in years between them. They even argued like an old couple after Kate remembered a particular meeting with Alex back in 2004 that sparked the argument between them. They argued and Alex received some bad news; Kate was scanning through old files and came across a life-changing event that happened back in 2004 to Alex's father. She rushed out of the hospital and headed straight to the lake house, slipped something in the mailbox and although she wasn't there physically, she wanted to be there for him to lend Alex a shoulder to cry on.

Like most movies today, I have a gut-feeling this movie took a page off Jane Austen's Persuasion -- a book that was a favourite of Kate's and when she explained what the book was about to Alex, it mirrored their current situation. If you've read the book you can pretty much have an idea what the story's about, although you can guess what the movie's about without reading the book. -LoL- And I doubt Jane Austen's characters were from different years in that book either.

The ending was...well, before I pieced together events/hints given in the beginning of the movie, made me hold my breath for the inevitable meeting between Kate and Alex in current time/year; unfortunately it was Alex's brother Henry (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) who welcomed and entertained Kate and her boyfriend, Morgan (Dylan Walsh). It was also in this scene that Kate found out from Henry where Alex was, which propelled her to go straight back to the lake house and resume their correspondece in the hopes of salvaging what was left of their once wonderful relationship.

I don't want to spill anymore than I probably already have; just watch the movie and I'm sure you're not going to regret it. This movie was definitely worth the money I paid for when I purchased the DVD. I betcha I wouldn't have regretted watching it in the theater too if I had the chance to watch it this past summer.

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