Crisply cut, soft hued promos show how Sandra Bullock [Images] longs for "One man I can never meet. Him, I would like to give my whole heart to" and Keanu Reeves [Images] emphasizing why "She's more real to me than anything I've ever known."

Sweet, I thought! And then I saw the movie.

Grrr�promos should be banned. They tempt you into shelling moolah for a ticket seldom worth the price. The Lake House is one such mistake. A remake of the Korean Il Mare, this time travel romance is about two lonely people waiting for the right person to come along.

Wishing for true love is a dreamy concept but, here, it bears a despondent air.

Architect Alex Wyler (Keanu Reeves) comes to live in a charming house by the lake. He discovers a letter from the previous occupant, Dr Kate Forester (Sandra Bullock). Alex and Kate are established as two reserved individuals who barely smile.

He keeps himself occupied in work and is reluctant to socialize with his overfriendly colleague, Mona (Lynn Collins). Kate is hard pressed for time, thanks to her hectic schedule at a Chicago hospital, although she occasionally hangs out with her mom (Willeke van Ammelrooy) or ward buddy (Shohreh Aghdashloo).

The letter asks Alex to forward any mail that's meant for Kate. After a couple of mail exchanges, the duo realize that, by some unexplained stroke of nature, they are separated by two years in time. Alex is still in 2004. Kate has proceeded to 2006. Incidentally, the unintelligent screenplay never makes an effort to articulate this time lapse. Also, the ease with which Alex and Kate get convinced about this slip-up is plain ridiculous.

A few more badly written mails later, they are convinced they love each other. A few unsuccessful attempts to meet force Kate to call it splits. She tries to move on with her now-steady-now-off boyfriend Morgan (Dylan Walsh), while Alex tries to make peace with his estranged self-obsessed daddy (Christopher Plummer).

But, will forces of nature shut up so easily? Seems unlikely, doesn't it? Kate and Alex try one last time to manipulate the mathematics of time. Considering it's a Hollywood romance, you know what will happen.

What you don't know is that this 12-year-late reunion of the Speed pair is anything but glorious. The usually genial actors Reeves and Bullock appear tormented, mouthing bland, uninspired lines. Also notably, there is no sign of chemistry in their distant, cold kisses.

The premise was never logical to begin with. It never fulfils its promise of being romantic, nor does it retain the mystique of its original. Often confused and painfully slow, director Alejandro Agresti's film is embarrassed by its own lack of conviction and falls flat. The only redeeming feature is that it's a good-looking movie, exploiting the lovely state of Illinois in velvety lights and pastel tones. Then again, that's hardly reason enough to pay more than Rs 150 for!

You must be a hard-core Keanu Reeves or Sandra Bullock fan to sit through this bore.

Rediff Rating: