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'The Lake House': Fantasy barely holds water

Every cinematic love story needs a worthy impediment to the central couple's happiness together, and The Lake House, a Hollywood remake of a Korean picture from 2000, has a whopper. Whether you buy into the film's far-fetched premise entirely depends on your capacity for romantic fantasy.

Warner Bros. Pictures 'The Lake House' C+ The verdict: A far-fetched fantasy romance of would-be lovers separated by two years' time. Director: Alejandro Agresti Starring: Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Dylan Walsh, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Christopher Plummer Run time: 98 minutes Release date: June 16, 2006 Rating: PG for some language and a disturbing image. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate 'The Lake House'   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

For Dr. Kate Forester (Sandra Bullock) and condo contractor Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves) are clearly meant for each other, except for one thing. They are separated in time by two years. While that might sound pretty enticing to many a spouse, such a gulf proves frustrating for these would-be lovers and eventually proves unsatisfying for moviegoers as well.

Certainly there was plenty of talent involved in this art-house slice of science fiction for the Kleenex set. The film is directed by Argentinian Alejandro Agresti, best known for the sentimental comedy Valentin, who at least takes stylish advantage of the Chicago locales. The screenplay is by David Auburn, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the stage play Proof, who again demonstrates a facility for language but falls into many of the film genre's gooier traps.

Running away from her lonely past, Dr. Kate moves out of her supremely impractical, all-glass house on stilts on the outskirts of Chicago, and moves downtown near her new urban hospital job. But as she goes, she leaves behind a note for the next tenant, asking that whatever mail arrives be forwarded on to her. Alex, estranged son of a world-famous architect (Christopher Plummer) who just so happened to have designed and built the lake house, moves in and begins corresponding with Kate.

But details about the house do not jibe and too quickly these two smart, educated people decide that the most logical explanation for the inconsistencies is that she is living in 2006 while he exists in 2004. That does have a way of putting a crimp on a relationship, but The Lake House wants to assure us that if you care enough for the other person even a two-year calendar gap is surmountable.

Eventually, you see, he can catch up to her, as when they agree to meet for dinner at a swank eatery. How? He makes a reservation for two years and a day in advance, which is her tomorrow. Are you still with me?

That she shows up for the date, but he does not, is surely meant to evoke the classic chick flick An Affair to Remember. However, like Sleepless in Seattle — another movie that alluded to that Cary Grant-Deborah Kerr melodrama — the structural problem with Lake House is that Bullock and Reeves rarely share the screen together.

The story also depends way too much on coincidences, including one major one that you are likely to spot long before the movie wants you to.

Bullock and Reeves are, of course, reunited from 1994's Speed, that Die Hard-on-a-bus blockbuster that kick-started both of their careers. And wouldn't you know that a bus figures prominently in this movie too.

Bullock plays against her perky screen persona well, with a deadened, melancholic mood throughout much of the film. She fares far better than Reeves, who needs to get back into comedy. When called on for an emotional breakdown, his acting gets very self-conscious.

None of this, however, should bother anyone intent of having a good cry over The Lake House. But if this does activate your tear ducts, chances are you did not need a movie for that in the first place.