The Lake House

by

debbie lynn elias

It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me or regularly reads my columns, that any movie with Sandra Bullock is one that I will review. (And I think she knows that, too!) While best known for her comedic talents and epitomized the romantic comedy with her performance in “Two Weeks Notice”, Bullock’s strength lies in her ability to stretch and push herself with a variety of characters and film genres. Her performance in last year’s Best Picture Oscar winner “Crash” is, in her brief 7 minutes on screen, both revealing and Oscar-worthy, providing a previously unseen passion and intensity. Now, with “The Lake House” we see her heart blossom before us on screen, as she takes heartfelt and heart -wrenching romanticism and introspection to a new level, turning in a beautiful and deeply emotional performance as Dr. Kate Forster, perfectly partnered with Keanu Reeves’ Alex Wyler.

A dual story, both are set on April 14. One, in 2004 and the other in 2006. Longing for change in her life, on completing her medical residency, she accepts a job at a busy Chicago hospital. Anxious for the fast pace of a big city hospital, she looks forward to her new life with one exception - it means she must leave the tranquility and uniqueness of her rental house in which she has lived and loved for years. The only place where Kate has ever felt truly at home, one look at this sanctuary and it easy to understand her feelings. Creative in its design, the house boasts windows overlooking one of the most beauteous lakes one could ever hope to see. (Although they haven’t seen mine.) Truly an example of Mother Nature at her finest.

With genuine caring and sense of loss, as she heads off to the big city, Kate leaves a letter in the mailbox for the next tenant. She has loved and cared for the house and the landscape and hopes he will, too. Pardon the paw prints painted on the floor, but they were there when she moved in. Oh, and please forward the mail.

It’s not long before we meet the next tenant - Alex Wyler, angst ridden architect who sold out for condo development as opposed to the artistry of architecture. But wait a minute. This isn’t the house that Kate left. Structurally, the house looks the same, but it is for lack of a better term - a dump. Dirty, neglected and, after reading Kate’s letter, there are no painted paw prints on the floor. Infuriated with the condition of the house, Alex sets out to restore the beauty it once held, especially since it was designed by his architect father, and in happier days, it was the one place where Alex, too, felt completely at home. It’s not until several days later while painting the weather-worn jetty that Alex sees a stray dog run across his fresh paint and straight into the house. . .leaving the paw prints exactly as described by Kate in her letter.

Curious and confused, Alex writes to Kate, telling her the house had been abandoned and had no occupant prior to him, and how in the world did she know about the dog. Angered by the reply, Kate sends a written retort. After all, she had only moved one week ago.

Curiosity soon turns into concern, compassion and companionship. With correspondence through the mailbox of the lake house as their only link, Kate and Alex discover they are living in the same place, but two years apart. Their connection, although inexplicable, is undeniable and its not long before they realize they have a love that knows no time or space; a love that they are determined to unite through the time-space continuum.

Sandra Bullock is mesmerizing as Kate. Convinced that single career women are destined to be to be miserable, as Kate she subtly conveys the point with minimalism, only to then burst beyond the recessiveness and transform like a butterfly as her heart is touched and joy and the realization that happiness might be within her grasp. Having previously worked together on “Speed”, Keanu Reeves is an ideal choice for Alex. Bullock and Reeves have an established chemistry that works to its best advantage here. Reeves has an innate brooding intensity that enhances the mysticism of the story and the frustration of the situation. He brings both a sadness and sense of intrigue to Alex that draws in the viewer. One of my long time favorites, Christopher Plummer pulls duty as Alex’s father and as to be expected provides some very delicious dialogues with a quirky twist. He is a delight.

Written by David Auburn based on the South Korean fantasy “Il Mare”, the one downfall with the film is the excessive dialogue. Rather than allow the audience to romanticize and fantasize or let tension build, there seems to be non-stop chatter, creating a strain where we should be relishing the exquisiteness of Alar Kivilo’s cinematography which is, in short, beautiful. He also takes literary references to a new level - in a very bad way.

Overcoming much of the dialogue drudgery is Alejandro Agresti’s direction. He gives the film an indescribable intelligent charm thanks to continuous gentle camera pans, a sweeping sense of time and space is created around the principle characters while keeping the focus on them and the lake house. A deliberate sense of pacing at times, the film is multi-textural and visually effective with the camera almost becoming a narrator, spanning the continuum. He also devotes time to the families of Kate and Alex, providing just enough background parallels to wet the palette.

A smart alternative to the summer “blockbusters”, “The Lake House” is a film that will make you believe in dreams and “what ifs” and true loves. A little mystery. A little love. Heartache, heart-wrench, sentimentality and romanticism. It will touch your heart.

Kate Forster: Sandra Bullock Alex Wyler: Keanu Reeves Simon Wyler: Christopher Wyler

Directed by Alejandro Agresti. Written by David Auburn. Based on the motion picture “Il Mare.” A Warner Bros. Pictures release. Rated PG. (97 min)

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