"The Love Letter" Which Travels Through Time (1998)

Director: Dan Curtis

Cast: Campbell Scott, Jennifer Jason Leigh

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Scott (Campbell Scott) of the 20th century bought an antique desk from the 19th century. He discovered a letter dated over a hundred years ago from a woman named Elizabeth (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Love blossomed while they were exchanging letters using the desk which could send and receive letters through century apart. Will a love story have a happy ending when the greatest obstacle is time?

I have an inclined fascination about time machine and time travel. I got interested in this movie because it talked about the relationship of two people in different time.  It was amazing to watch that an antique desk could send and receive letters from two different centuries.

I could feel the decent use of words in this movie especially during Elizabeth time. The language was way too formal compare to what our language is spoken nowadays. There was an eminent grace in it. I was also fascinated by the clothes used during 19th century. I could feel how the ladies acted  in the olden days. They were graceful yet demure.

I like  Leigh's acting. She is very pretty and fitted well with her character as Elizabeth Whitcomb. However, I could not feel the depth of the character of Scott sometimes. He seemed bland in some degree. But still, the movie is favorable to watch.

I noticed one thing that the movie should be. I wish the guy had no girlfriend at the present time. I wish he was more of a lonely guy who was seeking for love. That would fit the character in the movie. It ruined the romantic ambiance because he was torn between his fiancee and the girl from the past. He could have focused his attention to one girl. If he had no relationship at all, the exchanging of the letters would have been more romantic. It was as if the letter stole his heart in one wink. Also, my heart went to the fiancee. At the first part of the movie, they seemed in love with each other. How come the guy was disturbed from the letters of the woman in the past when he has someone in the present? Don't get me wrong. I love time travel and enchantment. I do like the idea of Elizabeth writing a letter to her "dream guy" though. It was romantic.

The movie locations especially during the 19th century were beautiful and fascinating. My inclination to old things was way too powerful not to like it. I love the costumes too.

However, I was not really satisfied of the ending though. I wish the reincarnated Beth had a brief storyline wherein she had somehow felt and seen what happened during her first life just like Scott's. But I could still say it is a watchable movie.