The Lakehouse
By John Sheridan, Blockbuster.co.uk
“One man I can never meet. Him, I would like to give my whole heart to.”

Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock star on screen together for the first time since Speed in this unusual but very compelling Sci-Fi romance. When Dr Kate Forster moves out of her glass walled lake house, she leaves a note to the next tenant asking that they forward her mail. When architect Alex Wyler moves in, he reads the note and is understandably confused. Kate wrote the note in 2006, he lives in 2004. The two of them start exchanging notes across time and an unlikely bond emerges.

We all loved the on-screen dynamic between Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock in Speed – this was one of the reasons for the film’s success. It has been over a decade since the two of them starred as leads in a film together and the question has to be asked… what took them so long?

A remake of the South Korean movie II Mare; Sandra Bullock plays Dr. Kate Forster, a lonely doctor who has moved out of her glass walled house next to a lake for a new job in Chicago. When she leaves, she writes a chatty note to the next tenant and leaves this in the mailbox, explaining a few things about the house and requesting that her mail be forwarded to her new address. Enter Keanu Reeves as the new owner, architect Alex Wyler who has just bought the place finds her message but he’s confused…. The date on the letter says it is 2006, but he is living in 2004.

The two of them start exchanging messages back and forth across time. Initially they both think that the other is pulling their leg but soon, when Forster is able to tell Alex about events that haven’t happened yet and he is able to affect the events in her time, the two of them bond through their letters and the two pen pals begin to feel something a little deeper than friendship for one another.

You’ll be pleased to hear that there is no attempt to explain for this weird time shift, which is refreshing as short of a far fetched Quantum Physics / Wormhole / Aliens explanation; there’s no way you can explain this. This saves the film from being too bogged down with Sci-Fi and allows this unique ‘long distance’ romance to stand on its own.

All in all, a gripping film, made so compelling due to the strength of the performances of the two leads. It is great to see Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock on screen together again. There are several twists and turns in this tale and several edge-of-your-seat moments. Maybe I’m a soppy romantic but I thought it was great. Highly recommended to rent - add this to your list now.