The Lake House

B-
The Lake House
Rated PG; Directed by Alejandro Agresti; Starring Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Christopher Plummer

I’m a sucker for time-travel romances. Not that “The Lake House” exactly fits that description. No one is doing any time traveling in the movie, but there is some weird time thingie going on. Maybe it’s that beat up, old mailbox that does the time traveling? Anyway, whoever or whatever is traveling in time it does create a neat concept for a film.

Kate (Sandra Bullock), moving from a lake house to Chicago, leaves a letter in the mailbox to let the next tenant know her forwarding address. Alex (Keanu Reeves), moving into the lake house, gets her letter, but he lived at the lake house before Kate. An exchange of letters soon has Alex and Kate realizing that they’re living two years apart in time. No one calls the National Enquirer; instead they embark on a long-distance relationship via the mailbox.

It’s a neat concept and the movie has some engaging qualities. Based on an earlier Korean film, “The Lake House” has a melancholy air as we watch lonely Kate and Alex find love with each other. As for believability, well, do turn your mind off. Hasn’t Kate ever heard of Google?

Bullock and Reeves, reuniting for the first time since “Speed,” are effective as Kate and Alex. We want their characters to find happiness together. The script has us guessing what will happen, but goes for a Hollywood-type ending. The movie, though not perfect, still manages to get under the skin.

I liked “The Lake House.”  I liked the concept. I really liked that old mailbox. Where does one buy something like that? Mine only brings bills and junk mail.