Disappointed. My disappointment isn't in the movie itself, as I was VERY excited to find this film available in the US! I've been wanting a copy since I had the opportunity to watch it a few years back... however, the fact that it is for some reason DUBBED IN CANTONESE just ruins it for me :( It takes out a lot of emotion from the talented cast of Korean actors and actresses in this film. It doesn't even have an option for the original Korean audio track.
POOP!
... now if you can go find a used rental that has the Korean audio in tact, I TOTALLY recommend this film!
Il Mare and The Lake House I watched The Lake House first and Il Mare two days later. Enjoyed both.
My Il Mare is the 3-disk version. Both titles and transfer (1.85:1 Anamorphic) were great .. aside from some translation issues.
My wife and I both enjoyed Il Mare .. and likely would not have enjoyed The Lake House as much as we did if seen second. Moving the story to Chicago, and giving it "star power" did have an effect.What if the only obstacle was time? Il Mare is a real gem of a find movie from South Korea, if you can find it in the foreign film video section.
Il Mare is "The Sea" in Italian and the love story takes place in a seaside house. A man and a woman live there but are separated by two years. He is in 1997 and she is in 1999 and they correspond through a magical mailbox that crosses time. As their letters continue both try to solve the mystery and see if they can bridge time to meet. It's a beautiful tale of how love can be so perfect yet timing so imperfect. The right person for you is THAT nearby but a flip in the time continum keeps you star-crossed permanently. If you are able to scout it ... look for the Japanese film "Love Letter" which was released in the late 1990's. A similar theme of love, loss, and redemption through letters.
