GRADE XI – STEM KOHN

The Lake House

by: David Auburn

A Movie Review by Filamie Sami

 
The Lake House is a movie based on a 2000 South Korean film, Il Mare. A film written
by David Auburn and directed by Alejandro Agresti. The Lake House tells a story of a
romantic fantasy that involves a series of flashbacks, patience-driven love, and
communication across time.
 
 
On a winter day in 2006, Kate Forster (Sandra Bullock), a dedicated doctor has to move
to Chicago which made her leave the glass-made lake house. As that place contributed
peace and comfort to her, she was sad to give it up. Hence, she wrote a letter for the
next tenant, asking him to mail it back to her new address.
 
 
Meanwhile, Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves), a young architect working on the construction
of a new housing complex on the outskirts of the city decided to fix the lake house that
has sentiments and sad memories of his family. As he got Kate’s letter from the
mailbox, he noticed that their year was in contrast. The letter says 2006 however Alex is
living in 2004. Intrigued and perplexed, Kate and Alex began to correspond by letters
across the years with the use of mailbox in that same place but different years of 2004
and 2006.
 
 
The movie involves time paradoxes. A key element served as the way to make sense of
the impossibilities brought by the communication across time. This includes the
scenario in 2006: Alex knows everything but Kate either knows nothing or knows it too
late to act accordingly. Although events like these are impossible to happen in real life,
the lessons are greatly highlighted and represent that there is love in waiting and in
patience.
 
 
The Lake House is a fantasy romance about a relationship that forms between a young
architect Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves) and the doctor Kate Forster (Sandra Bullock) who
lived in a lakeside house two years previously from each other. Only able to
communicate by passing letters into the mailbox, Alex and Kate maintain a
correspondence, alternately sending each other letters about themselves, until they
have developed their feelings. Determined to bridge their long-year distance
relationship, they tempt and challenge fate by arranging to meet. Alex made a
reservation in 2004 for a date in 2006 at Il Mare with Kate, but only Kate appears, and
 GRADE XI – STEM KOHN

Alex did not show up. On the day that follows, Kate wrote to Alex of that event, but he
replied that he does not understand why it did not work and responded, “Something
must have happened.” Kate retreated from this and shut Alex off, telling him to move on.
On Valentine’s Day in 2008, Kate unexpectedly met Alex’s brother Henry Wyler (Ebon
Moss-Bachrach). She noticed a painting of the Lake House and asked him who did it.
Henry told her it was made by Alex Wyler, his brother, but told her he passed away two
years ago that day. Kate realized and connected the events that the guy whom she tried
to save in an accident two years ago also that day was Alex. Knowing so, she hurried to
the Lake House and put a letter on the mailbox. Paradoxically, Alex realized it also with
the sequences of events. Kate wrote to Alex to wait for two more years, not to look for
her, thus preventing the accident from happening. For Kate's and Alex's reality to
merge, Alex must meet Kate at the Lake House on February 14th, 2008.
 
 
A film that will make you question math with romance. A little mystery. A slice of love.
This film nailed representing the value of waiting and patience. Although, it has only a
little interaction of the lovers at the end of the movie, nevertheless it caters to a quality
drama recommended for people who love romance with a twist of time.