Il Mare (2000), The Lake House (2006)

My nose is really running quite badly today and I decided to stay home the whole day instead of going out. I didn’t even go out to buy dinner but cook Myojo mee instead. Having the whole day in front of me, I start to run through of movies collection and start to watch some of them.

Finally finished watching “The Lake House” starting Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves in the remake of the Korean romantic classic “Il Mare” starting Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae. I didn’t really get the chance to watch “The Lake House” in the movie while it was showing, so I downloaded it instead.

Overall, I find that “The Lake House” is a good show but some how the producer didn’t really follow the actual storyline of “Il Mare” hence it really lack that touching element that always moved me whenever I watched “Il Mare”. I always can remember that time while I was watching “Il Mare” because it was the first Korean show that I ever watched back in 2001 and I really love the plot and storyline. The next Korean show that I pretty much enjoy is “My Sassy Girl”. I must admit that I am not a big romance movie freak but I love those with good and touching plot and storyline.

Anyway, back to the 2 movies that I was talking about. The setting of “The Lake House” is at Chicago (a place that I really love ever since I been to the States) with Sandra Bullock taking the role of a doctor named Kate Forster while Keanu Reeves take the role of an architect named Alex Wyler. In the show, both characters managed to meet up face to face back in time and chatted with each other. This is the part that I find kind of kill the romantic and touching element, it just kind of leave me quite frustrated in some sense.

In “Il Mare” (Italian for 'the sea'), the actress Jun Ji-hyun took the role of Eun-joo who is working as a voiceover artress and helping out at her friend’s comic rental store while Lee Jung-jae took the role of Sung-hyun, an architect who is the first owner of Il Mare. Both characters did only brush by each other with Sung-hyun appearing to be a total stranger and passer-by in the eyes of Eun-joo while back in time. Sung-hyun didn’t even get the chance to chat with Eun-joo. The most touching part is towards the ending part which always moves me. I will not write too much about the ending as it becomes a spoiler.

If you have the chance, try to watch these 2 shows. However, I will still highly recommend “Il Mare”. Do catch this beautiful and romantic Korean love story if you have the chance. Cheerz.

(Guess this will be my last log for today, going to take some flu medication and I guess it will really knock me out. Hope to get well soon.)