Siworae

Plot synopsis:
The story begins with Eun-joo moving out of a house by the sea called "Il Mare". As she is leaving, she leaves a Christmas card in the mailbox, asking the next resident to please forward her mail to her. Sung-hyun, an architectural student, receives her card, but is puzzled, since he is the first resident at "Il Mare" and the card is dated 2 years in the future. After a series of back and forth correspondences, Eun-joo and Sung-hyun realize they are living 2 years apart, Eun-joo in the year 2000 and Sung-hyun in the year 1998. After some testing, Eun-joo and Sung-hyun discover that the mailbox at "Il Mare" is enabling their communication and they can pass objects and living creatures through.Utilizing the mailbox, Eun-joo asks Sung-hyun to retrieve a tape player she lost two years ago, which he gets for her. After his father, a noted architect, falls ill, Sung-hyun asks Eun-joo to obtain a book about his father, which she does. However, she succumbs to a minor traffic accident and while hospitalised, the book fails to reach Sung-hyun in time before his father's death. After reading the book, he finally accepts his father's love for him and takes up his architectural work once more.As both Eun-joo and Sung-hyun continue their correspondence, they decide to try a date together, with each person participating in his or her own time. Eun-joo "takes" Sung-hyun to an amusement park, where he follows her instructions on how to have a good time at the park. Sung-hyun "takes" her to a restaurant where she drinks a bottle of wine he left for her two years prior. Despite having a lot of fun on these "dates", they decide that they should try to meet in person.Eun-joo and Sung-hyun plan on meeting in person at a beach where she has always wanted to build a house, two years in Sung-hyun's future. However, when Eun-joo goes to the beach, Sung-hyun doesn't show. She does see a house being built on the beach for an unknown architect's lover. When Eun-joo tells Sung-hyun that he didn't come, he is baffled about why he didn't show up; he doesn't think he would have forgotten such an important date.At Eun-joo's workplace, she runs into her ex-fiance. They were going to get married, but he moved abroad for work, while she stayed in Korea. Due to the separation, they eventually broke up and he married another person; Eun-joo however still loves him. This meeting was a shock to Eun-joo and in an act of desperation, she asks Sung-hyun to intervene and stop her fiance from leaving two years in the past. After sending the letter to Sung-hyun, Eun-joo suddenly realizes, on that day, she witnessed a car striking a pedestrian and killing him. Eun-joo rushes to Sung-hyun's architectural school and finds out that Sung-hyun was that very pedestrian and the house being built at the beach was designed by Sung-hyun for her. She immediately rushes to the mailbox and sends a letter telling him not to go.The final scene returns to the beginning of the movie, where Eun-joo is about to place her Christmas card into the mailbox at "Il Mare". A stranger approaches her with a letter in his hand, the letter that Eun-joo sent warning Sung-hyun not to go to the meeting. Sung-hyun did receive her warning letter and never went to intervene that day and was never hit by the car. Although this Eun-joo (the one who twice ignores him at the train station) has no memory of the correspondence, Eun-joo and Sung-hyun finally meet.

Tags: psychedelic

Review:
The movie is almost comparable to another Asian film jewel, Love Letter (1995) in terms of the subtleness and slow build-up of the plot; where the platonic relationship between the protagonists help make the love story almost ethereal, and yet very grounded and real, at the same time.
A heart-wrenchingly beautifully filmed movie -- the cinematography is absolutely perfect and it makes me wonder whether Korean seaside residences are all that beautiful.
But after a little while I sense this alarming message -- these days we prefer living in isolation and talk to people we do not know, and even regard them as our "true love" without any real contact (see the booming of ICQ), while on the other hand, we refuse to give the ones around us a chance, as Sung-Hyun did to his father and ex-girlfriend.
This is a movie for a very romantically lonely person,you go the theater alone to see  beautiful people suffering from love lost,feeling sympathy for them and have a great relieve at the end of the movie,you must think that those ending could happen in your life too!This movie is beautiful, come with a very sweet music,the production is on par with any European movie,the script is very well written and there is an element that become a special present for viewer who love a beautifully design things.If you think it's time to have a better movie to replace " Somewhere In Time" in a reference about very much loved sad movie you may give this movie a 10,if you looking for an alternative to Hollywood movie you might give it a 10 too..
IL MARE (2001) Another soapy time-travel romance that, if you watch it in the right frame of mind, could have you in tears.
It's about a guy who finds a letter in the mailbox of his new seaside rental house from the previous tenant advising him about little things that haven't happened yet, like the paw prints his dog leaves on the floor days later!
One of the earlier Korean hits in Singapore was Il Mare, starring Jun Ji-hyun and Lee Jung-jae, and last year it became the excuse of a remake by Hollywood to reunite Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock on the big screen.
But if you were to ask me to decide right now which version is superior, I would say without hesitation, the original Korean one triumphs over the remake, simply because, as a romance, it sure knew how to present it the way it's supposed to be.
The way the movies were made, is akin to the lake house featured in both movies - the Hollywood one is very grand, with plenty of bells and whistles, but the Korean one is simpler though by no means less effective, in its minimalist look and feel, puts the focus of the story squarely on our lovebirds separated by time.The first thing that strikes you is how quiet this movie can be.
Containing plenty of beautiful, idyllic soft focus shots which contribute to the overall romanticized feel, Il Mare is slowly and intricately paced, and less complicated with its relationships, and its supporting cast is few and not given anything substantial to steal thunder and limelight.This, compared to the very Hollywood style of development every minor subplot into a major one, and having to explain everything to the audience - this I thought was sledge-hammered through in the remake very early on into the film, which after watching how it was dealt in the original, you'll agree at which version is more superior.
If not for the inflation of run time because of the lack of skill in making a beautiful picture, then I don't know what is.Il Mare allows the audience room to piece together clues and events, without stifling, and this enables a greater appreciation, as well as time to be absorbed totally into the lives of our protagonists, 2 lonely hearts finding each other through a temporal time warp via a mailbox at Il Mare, the name of the Lake House.
It kind of connects the whole movie together which I didn't feel in the remake b/c they kept using random music that didn't mix well to me.I don't know much about Korea but watching the film gives me more of a sense of how it is over there and how things are different from my own country.
don't even get me started on the other changes they made to the plot, as well as new characters, etc.The korean film left you guessing more and didn't just hand over the whole plot and clenchers like the remake.
It's as romantic a film as I've seen in years.Two attractive young people live in an isolated beach house two years apart.
She is hoping for a letter from her lover, who is studying abroad and from whom she has not heard in some time.When she gets a reply, it is from a young man who claims that he is the house's first occupant and he doesn't know how her letter got into the mailbox, but that he'll keep his eyes open for her mail.
She tells him exactly where she will be on one day two years previously, and he goes and sees her, but of course she has no idea who he is.The story moves forward inevitably but unpredictably, and there are almost guaranteed to be tears at the end.
This is a beautiful story about love and it really tries to build the plot around the theme of time and distance and the loneliness that one may feel as a result.
This beautiful film, has a beautiful story, love set in a magical place, a house that sits on stilts, when the tide comes in the house floats on water.
Il Mare is the Korean film that predates it by six years and is the same story.
Like many great Asian films, another has been remade in America.Jung-Jae Lee (Typhoon) plays a budding architect estranged from his father and he moves into a house that his father designed and built.
Gianna Jun (an incredible beauty!) is the woman who rents the house two years later and is corresponding with the first owner through a magical mailbox.It is a sweet and tender story with absolutely brilliant cinematography and hauntingly beautiful music.
The film spends such a long time developing the relationship between Eunju and Sunghyon that it becomes entirely believable and profound, unlike so many films where the two characters simply have to look into each other's eyes to fall in love.
So I sat down yesterday to watch it again for the third time.And while "Il Mare" does have a very nice and original story, then it was a tad slow paced, which could be somewhat of a challenge for some audience to get through.
However, I think that it is alright with a slow paced storyline here, because director Hyun-seung Lee uses the time quite well to tell a very beautiful and touching story.The story told in "Il Mare" is about a lovestory between Kim Eun-ju (played by Ji-hyun Jun) and Han Sung-hyun (played by Jung-jae Lee).
And even with two years apart, their love grows with each letter.It is indeed a very interesting storyline, and one that has originality and sinks right in, because it is really well-told by the director.And while the cast list in "Il Mare" is relatively small, then there is a bigger pressure on the leading stars to perform well enough to hold up the movie.
Il Mare is a film about love story between two people separated by time.
But overall, the film is a must-see not only for Jun Ji- Hyun fans but for people who have appreciate great love stories.
Finally, the use of mailbox and writing letters was probably still common in South Korea during 1997 and 1999 in the Korean version while the use of email,google and the internet was already a way of life in the United States during 2004 and 2006 in the Hollywood version which made the plot of The Lake House less realistic and presented more plot holes.
Spawning a Hollywood remake 6 years later, THE LAKE HOUSE (2006), a star vehicle for Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock, IL MARE is an emblem of the "pure romance" sub-genre from Eastern Asia, typically in Japan and South Korea around millennium, aiming to the incorrigible romantics, whereas love transmits in its most unpolluted form between two beautiful-looking youngsters, a form eclipses puppy love among adolescents, and imbues a more substantial connection of limerence between two people.
In this case, what makes IL MARE a critical standout is its inventive concept to present "time" itself as an unlikely obstacle between two lonely souls Sung-hyun (Lee) and Eun-ju (Jun).The fantasy premise is that, through a magical mailbox, Sung-hyun, a young architect in 1997, receives a letter from Eun-jun from 1999, who has just left the beach house, aka, Il Mare, which Sung-hyun stays now, and moved into a new apartment in town.
The house is a gift from Sung- hyun's estranged father, and he is its first occupant, so clearly, he receives Eun-jun's letter from a nearer future, 2 years later exactly speaking.This uncanny communication enlivens both Sung-hyun and Eun-ju's lonesome existences, they exchange their stories, both have experienced a recent breakup, with some not-so-serious time- altering happenstances (e.g. collect a lost Walkman in 1998 and send it back to 2000) to bring about their mutual affections.
A more nagging resistance is that, it never occurs to Eun-ju that she should look for Sung-hyun in 2000, not until the moment arrives solely for the convenience of a major plot device, which is narrowly plausible but too conniving to consummate a satisfactory crescendo.The two leads are not given too much to act since the narrations of their letters take a big chunk of the story, and most of time, they are acting against themselves under a veneer of affected pretty- people-entrapped-in-the-loneliness narcissism with schmaltzy songs in the background, although Jun Ji-hyuan exhibits a tinge of sophistication at a rather young age of 18, augurs her soon-to-be- acquired mega-star popularity not just in her motherland..
Imagine the story from Love Letters adapted to the world of speculative fiction, and you have a fair idea of what Il Mare is like.
The concept is novel and refreshing (at least until other filmmakers started copying it) - a young man and woman share the same lake house, except at different times.
'I hope you're ready to hear a long and magical tale.' This is what Il Mare or Siworae is about; a slow moving love story that will make your heart ache with pain, joy and inspiration.This little Korean gem of love and lost is underrated and almost unknown to most.
With their letter exchange between each other they manage to forge a friendship which later develops into a love stronger than time and space could divide.Shot is a drab looking place this movie carries itself with the help of a credible cast, a powerful storyline and a wistful jazzy score that will tug on your heartstrings from all directions.Lovers of tearjerkers, romantic sagas and emotionally charged moments will have no trouble snuggling down with this.
The song also accompany the movie well creating some sad-ding moments.When Sung Hyun died in Eun Joo's time line, it left me with an emotional impact.
I thought it dragged a bit in the middle but not overly.See this film if you're tired of the summer action blockbusters.I haven't seen the Sandra Bullock/Keanu Reeves remake (The Lake House, 2006) but I would bet it's not as good.
I'll watch this film over and over again..The movie is all about time love and drama.
I do not like Il Mare, but I kind of love The Lake House due to the subject, the production values AND the very well done script..
Spoiler warning: These comments tell all, and are therefore only for those who (a) have seen the movie or (b) have not seen the movie but don't mind finding out everything about the plot.There is no question that Il Mare is a wonderful romance story, although the subtle Korean style may not appeal to an average North American audience.
The guy, on the other hand, knows that the girl can tell him things that has happened between their respective "present"s of 1998 and 2000.They finally agrees to meet at a Time that is "future" to both of them, which is two years away for him, but just the next week for her.
The movie is well written and well acted, with lovely music, beautiful cinematography, and altogether well worth seeing..
Story of two people who exchange letters across time is a very good romance even if you're not in a romantic mood.
What transpires is a conversation in letters as boy and girl exchange letters across time.This is a beautiful to look at (I love Il Mare the house) and to listen to movie (I'm going to have to track down the soundtrack).
In a way this plays like a time traveling version of 84 Charring Cross Road with much of the story told simply through the letters.
better late than never The main setting of this movie is loneliness..from the austere lighting, violin score, jazz background, large empty spaces..you might be left suffocating as the movie was barely punctuated with any light hearted moments (e.g.-the visit to the theme park quickly snuffed out with a reflective walk down an empty lane)..Little wonder why some people accuse the movie for being to draggy even though it is a 90 minute flick..But just before it lulls you into a slumber the story climaxes, reddens your eyes and leaves you breathless and wanting for more..an altogether wonderful experience The portrayal is perfect..in those cramped minutes the movie had made the connection with the audience..make them feel the characters as they fall into their disappointments, reclusiveness and right down to their happy moments as they open their mailboxes..so much so you cried because you felt the death of the male protagonist was almost too cruel an ending..special mention must go to Jeon ji hyun who's presence here was essential..her facial expressions were great..she had the ability to lift the mood with the slightess of smiles..yet carry the viewers through her blank stares and sobbing..and if you were to watch the video several times..you will notice the amount to symbolism used in almost every scene..for example the floating appearance of the house, dead tree with Christmas lights, broken glass, the bright red coat and gloves..everything painstakingly considered Yea..this movie is in Korean and it might be a little tempting to watch the Lake House instead (the Hollywood remake of Il Mare)..but i sincerely think you should do the opposite instead because this IS the movie that has the ability to make you breathless Note: This is definitely not a movie for those who are too afraid to tear in public or admit their emotions..And for those waiting for fast paced scenes..expect none However if you are good at appreciating subtleties and are tired of the usual genres of love stories circulating around..this is the perfect movie for you!..watch it at night before you sleep with the one you cherish.
The magical mailbox of Il Mare, the house built by the lake, serves as a portal connecting two very special individuals who carry close resemblance to each other — in the way that they are both living in solitude — yet are dimensions apart; literally, Eun-joo and Sung-hyun exist in different time periods setting them two years apart.In simple terms (or maybe not?
Il Mare is still sad with it, if you think about Eun-joo being eternally heartbroken in her "era", but the story ends up with one-half of its original bitterness.
Future events are definitely debatable, as well as the question of whether Eun-joo meeting the alive Sung-hyun would impact Eun-joo's time-line, but that is in itself an entirely different topic and can be saved for another day.The only minor inconsistency, well actually, disturbing detail, would be that if I were Eun-joo, I would at least be a little spooked by a random guy making several appearances in my life.
Without knowing him, Eun-joo meets Sung-hyun not once, but multiple times in 1998: the first encounter with the earmuffs, the second while meeting her boyfriend Joon-hi, and the final scene after Sung-hyun receives her letter to prevent his death.Everything was visually astounding, from the spot-on camera work (loved the "Cola-cam") to the beautiful Korean scenery.
(However, this leaves a discrepancy where Cola is seen running out of Il Mare which belonged to Eun-joo at the end of the film, when it really should have been Sung-hyun's if he was alive.
"Wine is supposed to get better with age" — so does a broken heart.I love films where the directors don't simply just feed the story to the audience, but allow it to require some thinking to make the overall movie experience a tad more interesting.
Il Mare is an enjoyable movie and probably will stay as one of my favourites for a long time..
There wouldn't be a point for this celestial matchmaking if the main character just died at the end.I understood the ending with Han Sung-hyun getting the letter in time, with instead of meeting Kim Eun-ju at the beach as planned, he decided to catch her as she was moving out which is the reason why she didn't remember him.
The movie made fate seem like a deranged meddler by causing the rift in time to kill Sung-hyun only to have Eun-ju prevent it so she could realize that she was in love with him.