Romantic Movies: The Lake House

Image via WikipediaThere's just something so romantic about unrequited love or a romance that's denied the right to flourish for one reason or another. That's probably a pretty sick perspective, but it's true -- at least for me.

This is one of the reasons that The Lake House (a remake of the foreign film, Il Mare) is so appealing. These two people try so hard to get together but they're literally separated by a wall of time that pushes them apart, even though they both live in the house designed by Keanu Reeve's character's father. Naturally, this resistance factor makes them want to be together all the more. And as an audience member, you're right there with them -- cheering and hoping everything will somehow work out all right.

But this isn't your everyday romantic movie. There's a complex existential aspect that makes this movie a romance, wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in a 2,000-piece crossword puzzle. As a result, it took at least three viewings for me to unravel the structure and all the ins-and-outs. A lot of work? I suppose. But it was worth it in my estimation.

Without giving away the ending, I'll say that by the time the movie is through, you not only will feel satisfied; you might just have a new respect for the fact that anything is possible. To quote the title of another of Sandra Bullock's movies, there's a certain practical magic going on here. When you watch this movie, you might even feel some of it will rub off on you.

Here's the trailer:

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