Overall Rating Awesome: 24% Worth A Look: 25.33% Average: 28% Pretty Bad: 10.67% Total Crap: 12% 7 reviews, 33 user ratings

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Lake House, The

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by Doug Bentin

"Beware of lake houses made of glass."

Here’s a frightening concept for you: a romantic movie so silly even John Cusack passed on it. Cusack was in “Must Love Dogs.” See what I mean?

Instead we get Keanu Reeves working with Sandra Bullock for the first time since “Speed” in 1994. Reeves was smart enough to duck “Speed II” but he signed on for this mess. Go figure.

He plays Alex Wyler, an architect/builder who has worked his way down to constructing look-alike condos. This is apparently one step above taping together shelters made from cardboard cartons as his long-time estranged architect father (Christopher Plummer) keeps needling him about it. Why the film includes this side drama with the dad is beyond me as it never ties into the main story. I think someone must have mentioned to the producers that Plummer’s presence improves every movie he’s in and they thought they could get a good mention from reviewers if they used him. Keeps Christopher Walken working, too.

So we see Alex move into a lake house designed and built by his dad many years previously. It’s 2004 but he soon discovers that he can communicate with another tenant of the house, Kate Forster (Bullock) who is living in 2006. We see him put a letter into the mailbox and raise the red flag. Then the flag goes down by itself (Kate is retrieving the letter two years later), then up by itself (as she puts her response in the box), and when he looks inside he finds her note to him dated two years in the future.

Do either of them call The Atlantic Paranormal Society? The National Enquirer? Does Alex ask for the results of sporting events so he can put some bets down?

No. They fall in love.

I haven’t seen the Korean film this is based on, “Siworae,” so I can’t tell you whether or not the problems with the script are inherited or if they come from David Auburn, author of the American version, but problems there are a’plenty.

For instance, the lovers keep trying to find a way to meet, but how can they if they exist two years apart? If Alex waits two years to keep a date with Kate, then the Kate who exists two years from the time of the date will—okay, I admit it. I have no idea where that sentence is supposed to go.

I don’t want to get all Amazing Wonder Stories on you, but if a movie is going to utilize one of the standard themes of science fiction—time manipulation—it has to recognize and deal with the paradoxes of the theme.

It won’t be hard for most people to follow the plot or the shifts in time this movie presents, and director Alejandro Agresti works well with cinematographer Alar Kivilo to create and maintain an air of longing for a seemingly impossible romance, but the movie contains just too many “yeah buts” to allow viewers to be absorbed into its love story.

And more often than not, when we’re in the right place at the wrong time, there’s no correcting the results to manipulate a happy ending.

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link directly to this review at http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=14719&reviewer=405
originally posted: 08/12/06 00:53:00

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User Comments

1/13/10 steve this guy needed kleenex at the end of this one 5 stars

10/05/09 the dork knight Keanu's Zen-like calm never wavers. Good cameo by Plummer 3 stars

12/23/08 Charlene Such a charming movie and Keanu/Sandra were perfect. Jack is adorable! 4 stars

10/31/08 Shaun Wallner Great story! 3 stars

9/18/08 Abi what a romantic and beautiful story! - belief is forever - no border of time 5 stars

1/26/08 Pamela White Could have used a little help with the plot timing 3 stars

8/13/07 Annonomiss Suspend your disbelief and go see this one! Timetravel supernatural elements-intriquing. 4 stars

8/05/07 Cherish Forget about the logic. It's a romantic fantasy and I love it. Love Keanu and Sandra. 5 stars

7/07/07 AnnieG Much much better than I expected from reviews! 3 stars

5/17/07 ES ooo the magic mailbox, sorry not feeling it 2 stars

4/26/07 marshall The quest for & belief in "the one" is a reality. Minus the causality issue, i can relate. 5 stars

4/04/07 Shinde Wonderful movie, made me on the edge of my seat the whole time. 4 stars

1/26/07 alice U liked it, just average but liked it. 3 stars

12/29/06 Kimberly I thought this was a boring movie also. I was very upset with this movie 2 stars

12/18/06 Mockingbird I've lost all respect for you EricDSnider, no wonder you had to see the movie with your sis 1 stars

12/07/06 JULES get confused trying to connect every scenario,(& yes the fakest sneeze ever) but romantic.. 4 stars

11/04/06 marlee i loved this movie. it was beautiful 5 stars

11/02/06 Irina i've watched it 4 times over the last 2 days! 5 stars

10/12/06 Danny OMG, how boring! 2 good actors totally wasted. I found it hard to stay awake. 1 stars

10/12/06 Megan What is the book she reads in the movie? 3 stars

10/03/06 MONICA A NICE LOVE STORY WITH A GOOD ENDING 5 stars

9/30/06 thaMASTAH The movie was okay. It could've been better though. 3 stars

9/25/06 christine mae its so very nice!!!!cge lng ug kisskiss 3 stars

9/07/06 Stephanie Throckmorton Wildly bizarre for little other reason than making feelgood end more refreshing than cliche 3 stars

8/01/06 kaz beautiful and moving.. 5 stars

7/21/06 jcjs inane, yet for 'dreamers' speaking to the core of 'love' , 'beauty' , 'significance', 'art' 5 stars

6/24/06 JUDE ll also be a great video to watch in yor bathrobe 4 stars

6/23/06 barbara a great oldfashioned capra type - have keanu and sandy play in a remake of random harvest 4 stars

6/23/06 docmoreau I am not an objective film reviewer. This film was shot in and around Chicago, my hometown 5 stars

6/22/06 kathy kaufman lovely movie; gentle and evenly paced, with a fun mystery to it. enjoyed the soundtrack 4 stars

6/20/06 NH It works for me! 5 stars

6/20/06 Debbie Borders Loved It!! 5 stars

6/17/06 bobbi The movie goer's conversation in the seat next to me was more interesting than this movie 1 stars

IF YOU'VE SEEN THIS FILM, RATE IT!
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USA 16-Jun-2006 (PG) DVD: 26-Sep-2006 UK 23-Jun-2006 Australia 27-Jul-2006

Directed by Alejandro Agresti Written by David Auburn Cast Keanu Reeves Sandra Bullock Dylan Walsh Shohreh Aghdashloo Christopher Plummer Cynthia Kaye McWilliams

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