Paul Magne Haakonsen I remember watching "Il Mare" (aka "Siworae") back in the day shortly after it was initially released. And I do remember it as being a very beautiful movie. 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). They are sending each other letters from a mailbox at an ocean-side house named Il Mare. Kim Eun-ju is living in 1999 and Han Sung-hyun is living in 1997. 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. And I will say that both Jung-jae Lee and Ji-hyun Jun did more than perform adequately. They really carried the movie quite well, both individually and together on the screen."Il Mare" is a beautiful movie to grace the South Korean cinema, and it is a movie that is well-worth watching, regardless of you having a preference for Asian cinema or not.

Atreyu_II First of all, this was the first time I ever saw a korean film. I only knew about its existence after hearing of and watching the American remake. Sadly remakes have that effect.Of course that, by being the original, originality triumphs over the remake. The remake cannot be considered original for the simple reason of being a remake.The plot of both versions is virtually identical. However, the korean version takes place some years sooner and in a very different culture and society. Plus, it has many originalities of its own.Although as confusing as the remake, I'm much less critical on the original - it is more complete, richer in details, truer, more touching and sentimental and beautifully photographed. Even the actors are more believable in comparison. The remake, of course, doesn't repeat the original's formula and was obviously made to "match" the American standards.

Julya O '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. It centers on a tale where two people are connected by a mail box although they live two years apart. 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. It is one of those movies that will make you wonder why your love life is nothing but a mere convenience without so much as a fanfare or a sparkle.An English version of this movie was remade by Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock call The Lake House. It's hard to compare the two since they are of different cultures, but they're both enchanting in their own right while sharing only similar plot.Other movies that share similar nostalgic and wistful sentiments are Serendipity, Cinema Paradiso, The Notebook and many many more. Get a shoulder, a hanky or a pet to sit beside you before you start.

thallinan 'Il Mare' is a beautiful film -- beautifully shot, beautifully written, beautifully acted. 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. Each is hiding from unhappiness and lack of fulfillment. When the young woman moves out she leaves a note in the house's ornate mailbox asking the house's next occupant to forward her mail. 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. The young woman moved out of the house in 1999; the young man's letter is dated 1997. They are living two years apart, but the house's ornate mailbox somehow makes it possible for them to correspond.Over the course of their correspondence they open to each other and it becomes obvious that they are soulmates. But . . . they are living in parallel universes, separated by two years. 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. But more than the story, and more than the strength and beauty of the film's stars, what impresses is the way the story is told: through ravishing colors, perfectly composed images, amazing cinematography, even beautiful music. (Music can be the downfall of Korean romantic films.) There is hardly a frame of this film that could not be frozen and framed.See it, before Hollywood gets hold of it and spoils it. (It's all over eBay, with perfectly good English subtitles.) This is one to own.