Il Mare

Il Mare (2000) is a South Korean romance film directed by Lee Hyun-seung, starring Lee Jung-jae, and Jun Ji-hyun. The movie revolves around two people who are living in the same lake house, but in two different years. The film explores love and time, and how they are closely intertwined.

The film starts with a woman named Kim Eun-joo (Jun Ji-hyun), going to an old house she once lived in called Il Mare, which is located on the outskirts of the city. She leaves a letter in the postbox, asking the new owner to forward it to the previous resident, who according to her, should have been there two years ago. The new owner is a man named Han Sung-hyun (Lee Jung-jae), who receives the letter and is surprised to read it. He writes a reply, explaining that he just moved in and that there must have been a mistake.

A series of letters start passing from one to another, and the two realize they are communicating with each other across time. They start sharing their lives and develop feelings for each other, which gradually grow stronger. They make plans to meet, and a date is set. But, it doesn’t go as planned. Sung-hyun learns that Eun-joo is living two years in the past, and their meeting becomes impossible.

The two continue to communicate through the letters, trying to understand their situation and each other. They realize that they are each other's missing piece and can only be happy together. They start making plans to meet again, and Eun-joo believes she has found a way to time travel. She asks Sung-hyun to come to the lake house on a specific night and leave a bittersweet gift for her. Sung-hyun does as he was asked, but on that night, Eun-joo goes missing.

The rest of the movie focuses on Sung-hyun trying to find Eun-joo, and the mystery surrounding her disappearance. In his search, he discovers things about her past and realizes he'll have to risk everything to get her back.

One of the film's most significant strengths is how it explores the connections between time, memories, and love. The two protagonists simultaneously exist in the same place but are separated by a two-year gap, and through their correspondence, they learn to live together in a non-linear sense. Their letters become the only way they have to communicate and understand each other's lives, and they begin to share an incredibly profound bonding experience. As they share their thoughts, feelings, fears, and dreams, they also see each other's hidden aspects, and their bond deepens in ways neither had ever imagined.

The filmmakers leverage the mesmerizing poetic quality of the rural setting to great effect, making it an essential part of the story. The lake house, situated on the edge of the water, amplifies the sense of longing and loss at the root of the movie with its idyllic surroundings. It also provides contrasts between what is happening to the characters and their environment while highlighting the movie's themes, emotions and tone.

The performances of the leading actors, Lee Jung-jae and Jun Ji-hyun, were awe-inspiring. The actors' portrayal of the protagonists' emotions and vulnerabilities lifted the movie's quality and left a lasting impression on viewers. The movie has its light moments too, courtesy of Mu-saeng Kim, who plays the owner of a transgressive fine-dining establishment, adding a welcome comic relief to balance the overall emotional intensity of the film.

In conclusion, Il Mare (2000) is a beautiful South Korean drama-romance movie that strikes a chord with those who believe in the redemptive power of love against all odds. It's a masterpiece fashioned from a simple-yet-profound story, and the chemistry between the lead characters, magical execution, and the film's overall style makes it a must-watch for fans of the romance genre.