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Re: The Lake House - quick review
Saw this Saturday night to a nearly packed house. Enjoyed it quite a bit.
Something to keep in mind - despite some comedic moments (and there are not many), this is not a "romantic comedy." It's more a deeply romantic film, and I don't mean in a Harlequin romance sort of way. I will confess that I enjoy well done romantic or romantic comedy movies. The Lake House is a romantic film, even a mostly melancholy one, as the two main characters struggle with themselves, with the people in their lives, with loss and having jobs in the fields they love but not necessarily the exact kind of work they feel born to do.
I view the whole time difference aspect as a conceit or metaphor; anyone looking for faultless "logic" or consistency will be disappointed. It's not a sci-fi film, and isn't interested in the scientific or philosophic ramifications of time travel or impacting history's arc.
To be clear about my bias, I like both of the leads quite a bit, and view them both as underrated actors. Reeves will never be de Niro, but he's also not without talent or skill, and Bullock is more than the cute complainer from Speed.
Reeves and Bullock do a great job making you care about the characters, and I was genuinely rooting for them to get together. Despite having very little screentime together (and much of that is not even what it sounds like), there's a palpable chemistry between them. I routinely mock tritely written and plotted romantic movies, but this one sucked me in. I will admit that my bias (liking the leads) likely had a lot to do with really liking the movie, and I don't know if it would have worked with just anyone in the roles.
I think one of the things that differentiates this film from other romances and romantic comedies is that it helps you see how very lonely these two people are, and it doesn't make the loneliness funny or appealing. There is a strong shade of sadness to the story and acting, and it fits and helps (for me, at least) to lift the film above the usual dreck.
Having said that, the film is not a deliberate meditation on being single in the new millenium, nor is it aiming for gritty realism. It's more of a fable or legend, with fantastic elements, heartbreak and love, loneliness and companionship.
I recommend it, but it's not for everyone.
\"Life began in mystery, and it will end in mystery, but what a savage and beautiful country lies in between.\" - Diane Ackerman
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