I didn’t think I’d enjoy this film. When I first heard about it I didn’t think I’d bother to go see, but then I read some reviews that persuaded me to check it out. I still didn’t think I’d enjoy it mind, but I thought I’d give it a go.
The basic plot revolves around a house, yes by a lake, hence The Lake House, and its mailbox. Which seems to be some sort of a time-portal type thing, allowing Kate and Alex to exchange letters. From a distance of two years. Kate is in 2006, Alex in 2004.
Despite my reservations there is actually quite a bit to like about this film. Reeves and Bullock have good chemistry, and the script has a lot of nice touches in the dialogue. However I didn’t like the way the letters the two characters were translated into total conversations, with one replying to a sentence and then the other responding as though they were able to talk in real time. It wasn’t a mysterious Instant Messaging time device they used. It was letters. But I was willing to over look that.
What I’m not willing to over look Show Spoiler ▼
Rewriting history means that you rewrite it. It has happened. It is in the past. To future people that is all the history there is. Causality man! I feel like I’m in Star Trek and giving out about the time travel paradox.
So in the end I came out feeling annoyed. I’m glad I went, and overall it was a watchable film. But I didn’t like it.
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I had read Ebert's review before seeing it and I took his advice, choosing to enjoy the story and not get all caught up in the time travel paradox, etc. and, as you know, I really liked the film. I actually like it even more now that some time has passed and want to see it again. Plus I like Heinlein's ideas of time travel and its effects which are somewhat different to the standard sci-fi ideas so none of that stuff really bothered me.
I don't think I would have been so annoyed if I hadn't been really enjoying it. But it was more the fact that <spoiler>it was all happy ever after in the end. I would've prefered a tragedy. Maybe I'm mean</spoiler>
I think that if you try to find a logical explanation for everything in the movie so you can try and force it to make sense when you know it can't, you're going to come out disappointed. I figure you just have to let yourself believe and you will enjoy it despite the parts that don't make logical sense.
About the tree… it's sort of like the message he leaves for Kate on the wall. The message was there, waiting 2 years for her to discover (it had that weathered look to it). The tree was also there for 2 years (though it was a bit too big for only 2 years growth, but whatever). He changed history by planting the tree because she said she wanted it to be there. She recognized that the tree appeared, but I think to everyone else who sees the tree in her time, they've always thought or remembered the tree was there the entire time.
I loved it. I thought it was well-done in every way.
You are mean. And evil. I wonder will I see this film? I'm not going to have much chance to see that many films this summer so I guess I need to pick and choose carefully. Mebbe I'll save this for DVD.
Don't know what to do about Pirates. I don't think I'll be staying with you this weekend. Although I'd like to. I can't decide. Argh. Maybe you should just go ahead and watch it without me. I don't want to leave you hanging.
BTW, you didn't see Match Point, did you? It's EXCELLENT.
To be totally posh and polite, this annoyed my shite :)
I do get that not all films have to make sense, and I'm usually okay with plot-holes, this one just bugged me though. But there was still enough there to let me enjoy the film.
NM, reckon I'll go see Thank You For Smoking on Thurs evening. And probably take off early on Fri. I'm owed 4 hours, so I'll either go shopping or think about hitting the kino again.
Shopping!
I remember shopping.
Sigh.
I don't come here for polite and posh…knock it off!!! ;)
I read an online review about it after I went to see it that asked the basic question over and over again: "why didn't they just pick up the phone and call one another!" Makes sense.
I think the biggest let down is that it's built up as this strange time travelling yarn, but then it never fully addresses this. You never find out why this is happening. It's all about the reference to the book she has, and how these two are to get togther or not.
Nostalgia eh NM ;)
Carl, I'll try to be ruder in future.
Alan, that didn't bother me. Afterall they were seperated by two years so how would the phone call have worked. One would be calling with more knowledge than the other surely?
And I also didn't mind that there was no real reason. I think the time-travel was incidental in many ways to the story. More a romance that sci-fi.