Il Mare (2000)

"Il Mare" gently sprays its quiet magic as if through an atomizer.

"Il Mare" is the ´international´ title of this KMovie. However, the original title (rather being translated as "Across Time") does not refer to the place - a picturesque house by the sea - but to what actually happens there: a time-transcending correspondence. Strictly speaking, the letters are sent back and forth in a mailbox over the distance of 2 years. What an unprecendeted plot for a love story to be told in a truly unique way! This story became famous in America and Europe in the 2006 US film adaptation starring Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock.

Actually you shouldn't compare the two movies side by side, but most people do, so...
The South Korean original was made in 2000 and starred Lee Jung-jae, who was in high demand in South Korea at the time, and Jun Ji-hyun, who was just beginning her career. (Actually you can sense the difference in her acting back then and in her more recent productions. In the meantime she definitely has matured from a ´mere´ beauty into a spirited actress.) While the original shares the same plot as does the US remake later on, the South Korean version places more emphasis on the mood of the protagonists, stressed by using imagery, color and atmosphere. Accordingly, the South Korean original is characterized by less color saturation and less light than the US remake, as both protagonists - Eun-ju and Sung-hyun - are rather disappointed in life, taciturn, withdrawn. The loneliness and emptiness in the protagonists´ lifes is one aspect. The remote house by the sea something completely different. It might perfectly fit into the protagonists´ mood, but in addition it actually has quite some magic to offer: Besides framing and emphasizing the beauty of nature there is the dog as a harbinger of relationship and the mailbox as a bridge between hearts. Thus the overall sensitively told story slowly but surely fills with joy, smiles, laughter and increasingly radiating light.

The KMovie "Il Mare" gently sprays its quiet magic as if through an atomizer.

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Il Mare is a truly unique love story, that shows romance in a refreshingly different light. Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae are good playing two lonely people who find comfort in words shared with a stranger, but there was honestly nothing extraordinary about either performance. The true star of this movie is the story itself.

The plot takes the idea of long distance romance to the extreme. It's written so well that the fantastic concept seems perfectly plausible. I loved how their shared moments were shown. The director did a great job of making sure the time difference never felt like a cheap gimmick. The movie is also visually stunning, especially the house itself ("il mare") which I absolutely loved. This movie is not fast paced, nor does it have cute moments full of chemistry/sexual tension. Instead, it's about watching two people become close although they can't be together. Showing that connection is hard, but I think the movie pulls it off well.

The American remake of this film is "The Lake House" staring Keanu Reeves, & Sandra Bullock. I actually liked the remake as well, but one doesn't cancel the other out in my opinion. At the very least, the korean house is MUCH cooler!

I think the key to this story's appeal is the question of whether or not they will ever meet in the future, and have a true romantic relationship. Once that mystery was resolved, rewatching was a little less exciting, but It is still very interesting to watch the story unfold while knowing the outcome. If possible, avoid reading the synopsis, which gives way too much of the story away. I also wouldn't be concerned with how old this movie is. Like the relationship between Eun Ju & Sung Hyun, this movie is timeless.

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