Diagonaldi Very well executed

Inclubabu Plot so thin, it passes unnoticed.

Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Payno I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

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.

samuelwong79 'Siworae' a.k.a. 'Il Mare' is a romantic film. 'Il Mare' literally means 'The Sea' in Italian. I must admit that initially I wasn't intending to watch the movie cos my intention was to renting another show (it came as a alternative, since i got nothing to watch).The movie was overall pretty well done. The plot develop rather well for me (yes, I know some of you out there confusing about the time line and so on. but this aren't a sci-fi why bother to figure out about the time line and so on). The details in each scene make the emotional bonds between the two characters even strong. 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. Yeah, there is other films when the character died but there aren't any emotional impact. In my POV, I feel that Sung Hyun really gives a lot (trying to make smile wearing the ear muffler, drawing out her ideal house and even try to prevents her breaking up with her boyfriend even when he didn't want to).For those who are emotional, prepare a box of tissue besides u. Some of my lady friends start crying towards the ending.

illian420 This is a wonderful film. It is the first korean film I ever saw and I was not disappointed at all. Recently the remake of this movie, The Lake House, came out in the US. I had to see it of course to compare. I still prefer the original.The music in the korean version is just spellbinding and beautiful. It gives a wonderful lovey dovey/kinda sad mysterious feeling to the whole movie. 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. The Lake House didn't really give any feel as to how the US country is.. maybe b/c it wasn't anything original. There were too many holes in the US version too. And even though I've seen the original a lot, the remake confused me a bit even about the time period. 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. There was more emotion in the korean and more surprising. It's so dramatic and heart clenching and ugh.. just makes you want to cry.Don't let subtitles scare you away.. go find this movie and watch it.