SNMR 7.13: "The Lake House"

GREEN'S "I KNOW WHY YOU WEREN'T THERE" REVIEW:

Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves) is moving into a glass house on a lake. Dr. Kate Forester (Sandra Bullock) is moving out of that same lake house. Kate leaves a note in the mailbox for the next tenant, which Alex receives. The problem is he's actually lived there before her. Through the magical mailbox these two people discover that they are living two years apart: he in 2004, she in 2006. Despite the 'distance' in time, they begin corresponding with each other and eventually realize that they are meant for each other. Through the course of the story they share experiences and the memory of a chance meeting in which they danced and shared a tender kiss. How will they overcome the barrier that separates them? Can they overcome it?

This is the much less ballyhooed first screen appearance together for Reeves and Bullock since "Speed" (in comparison to DiCaprio and Winslet in "Revolutionary Road" (2008)) and it is a better than I thought it would be film. This is not a science fiction movie about time travel, with a love story rather hastily tacked on but rather it uses the idea of time warps and parallel universes to enhance a decently thought out story.

In order to better enjoy this movie, you must be willing to suspend your rationality and not try and figure out how the time warp/parallel universe scenario works and just be taken in by the story.

Reeves on-screen performances can sometimes be wooden, and he is here to some extent, yet he and Bullock easily recapture the chemistry they had in "Speed." That was motivation for me in wanting to see this movie, not to mention the fact that I was able to buy the DVD for under $5.

Argentinian born director Alejandro Agresti hasn't directed any movies I recognized. His effort won't wow you but he does enough with the film to keep it moving at a reasonable pace.

I always hope for some interesting special features included on the DVD. This movie only has the theatrical trailer and some deleted scenes/outtakes. No director, cast commentary or making of featurettes here.

It certainly isn't "the best movie I ever saw," as one amazon.com reviewer claimed, but it certainly isn't the worst either.

*** out of *****

The Lake House" (2006, PG, 98 minutes), starring Keanu Reeves, Sandra Bullock, Christopher Plummer, Dylan Walsh and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. The screenplay was written by David Auburn and based on the movie "Siworae" by Eun-Jeong Kim and Ji-Na Yeo. The film was directed by Alejandro Agresti.