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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Il Mare

I've never watched the other version covered by Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Those who had watched "The Lake House" said that it was a fantastic romance movie. However, it was just a remake from the Korean movie "Il Mare" (Italian for "the sea").

Recently, I had watched it again online with a friend of mine who lives in Philippines. That was also my 2nd online movie date with the same friend haha... I was the one who came up with the idea of watching it together.

On the night itsef, we started watching it together by... "Ok, 54321 GO!" from the same website. He had watched "The Lake House" and it was one of his favourite movies. I told him that "Il Mare" is a fantastic movie. Awesome music score, nice scenery (Especially the house by the sea. The original version isn't by the lake.) and cinematography.

The story begins at the tail end of 1999, as voiceover actress Eun-joo (Jun Ji-hyun) moves out of a seaside home named 'Il Mare'. Before leaving, Eun-joo leaves a Christmas card in the mailbox, with a message asking the eventual new owner to forward any mail of hers to her new address in the city. Meanwhile, exactly two years prior in 1997, Il Mare's first owner, architect Sung-hyun (Lee Jung-jae, who recently co-starred opposite Shim Eun-ha in "The Interview"), receives Eun-joo's card. Thinking it to be a joke, he writes back to Eun-joo and asks her not to tamper with his mailbox anymore, while pointing out that the 'current year' is 1997.

However, after a bit of back-and-forth banter, all doubt about the magical properties of the mailbox are soon erased, and Eun-joo and Sung-hyun begin sending regular correspondence to each other. In addition to finding out that they are both kindred spirits, they come up with new uses for their unique connection: Sung-hyun is able to return a tape recorder that Eun-joo lost two years ago, while Eun-joo is able to send back a still-unpublished book by Sung-hyun's estranged father. Eventually, they agree to meet in person-- an uneasy task given their separate time periods. Though the agreed-upon day is only a week away from Eun-joo's perspective, it is still a full two years from where Sung-hyun stands. Will these two lovelorn pen pals meet?

The most obvious standout aspect of "Il Mare" are the time-constrained interactions between Eun-joo and Sung-hyun's, which result in a number of gee-whiz moments and thought-provoking scenes, such as the film's ending, which is heart-wrenching, uplifting, and mind-blowing at the same time. However, what makes "Il Mare" so memorable is the well-told love story at its core. Without resorting to overt melodrama, director Lee Hyun-seung chronicles the blossoming romance between his two protagonists and how their regrets of the past threaten to tear them apart, brought to life by the natural performances of the two leads.

Instead of heading down to the cinema this weekend, how about having a date at home with your family, friends or lover. Or you can also do the same as I did, watch it with an overseas friend (or if your partner is currently overseas) and have an online date. So, what are you waiting for?

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