Il Mare (2000)
[director Lee Hyeon-Seung]
Cast: Lee Jeong-Jae, Jeon Ji-Hyeon
A handsome young man and a beautiful young woman both live alone in a house by the sea called “Il Mare.” How? Well, they both live by themselves in the same place because they are living there in different years—him in 1998, her in 2000. Nevertheless, they communicate with one another through “Il Mare’s” magic mailbox, which transports their letters to one another through time. Eventually, they fall in love.
The film features likeable performances by the leads and some really great cinematography rife with a unique color and lighting scheme. But too often it feels more like a commercial than a movie. The director films tender moments (like when the two of them cook and simultaneously enjoy the same meal in their different time zones) with practiced slickness, and he sometimes cuts away from scenes too quickly, before we can glean any real meaning from the events depicted. It’s not always the case, but it’s enough to put one off to this movie, making moments that should be intimate look all too much like a Hallmark card.
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