Wasting away February

It has been almost a full month since I last posted. I'm sorry but there's not much to tell. The weather has been schizophrenic, alternating between fierce cold (in Texas terms) and weird warmth. The constant fluctuation puts me and hubby down in the dumps. I don't mind the cold per se but it is hard to be productive. We don't do much beyond our basic daily duties: work, eat, sleep, repeat. If you're like me, bidding time until the sun returns, I have a recommendation for you below.

Certain movies pull at me during certain months of the year. My mid-winter movie is The Lake House. I really love this movie and can't understand why it isn't more popular. Perhaps because the tempo is slow and audiences can't appreciate thoughtfulness and consideration? Perhaps because it's clean and audiences need shallow kissy-scenes and tense sequences of inappropriate language or conflict? Perhaps because audiences only embrace implausibility when it comes to explosions and romantic relationships?

Let me enumerate the reasons I adore this movie: 

1. They write letters! I could stop there. Really, I could.

2. It's clean! They get to know each other through letters, which demonstrates the ability to have a meaningful relationship without all that physical contact. Just because our world has forgotten how to do relate without touching doesn't mean it isn't possible. There's one line when Alex says to his brother, "She was more real to me than all of that." I really love that line.

3. Their relationship develops within the context of family. I hate it when you're watching a movie about two people falling in love and you don't even know if they have siblings. Relationships happen within a context, not a vacuum. In this movie, you meet Kate's mom and understand the dynamics of her parent's marriage You meet Alex's father and brother and understand the dynamics of his parent's marriage. I love that. That is actual plausibility.

4. Lots of critics say the acting falls flat. But that's because the world rewards extroversion. The acting is a brilliant portrayal through subtlety of thoughtful and serious personalities. Quiet people exist and fall in love too, ya know.

5. There is beautiful music and cool architectural references.

6. Their letters time-travel. They do not. This is an important distinction to understand the plot. I don't mind this because it's a way to write a modern version of Jane Austen's Persuasion. Which is all about waiting. And not waiting because you're stupid and are following "destiny" or made really bad decisions [e.g. those really annoying waiting movies like the notebook and serendipity - both of which gag me]. This is romantic waiting done right.

7. Last, but not least, the twist at the end. Every time it happens, I think again about how brilliant it is. The time-travel thing is already something to swallow and it could get messy. Yet, the story is wrapped up beautifully without becoming overly complicated. You wonder how they'll ever meet and the twist is so simple, so brilliant, I love it!

caveat - there is some kissy-ness at the end. Sorry. I never said it was a perfect movie.