Wicker Park (2004)

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  October 29, 2011

  romy861

  Have actually upped my rating to 4 stars from 3 1/2 - very unusual for that to happen - usually the other way round!! I can't really remember watching this the first time.... well, only vaguely... though I guess I must have as i have the dvd in my collection. Really enjoyed thi... read mores the second time around, as I couldn't remember it too well at all, I had forgotten all the twists, so it was still a surprise rewatching it.
  I found this very well done - the filming is quite stylish, the cast really good (maybe with the exception of Matthew Lilliard who I can never quite take seriously, but he plays a bit of a joker as usual anyhow, so I could wear this one). Josh Hartnett very convincing and works really well with Diane Kruger as Lisa - found them both really enthralling here. Quite an erotic film without being overly graphic. Rose Byrne I also found quite sympathetic - won't say too much about her character here!
  Above average thriller, nice to look at, and never lags or gets dull. Enjoyed this a lot!

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• 
  
  September 15, 2009

  ceWEBrity

  I don't know, either you're on board with Wicker Park or you're not. I think you have to look past its definite shortcomings to wring out the quality: for Josh Hartnett's stony, inarticulate performance and Matthew Lillard's completely inappropriate casting, you then have Diane K... read moreruger and Rose Byrne, both excellent in their roles. Byrne especially does fantastic work with the least screen time of the four; she shows up late and to say much would be a spoiler, but she really digs into every angle of the character and presents some interesting complications in the story. For every time the soundtrack features some God-awful rock song highlighting a "torrid" sex scene, it'll find an inventive and challenging combination like a modern dance sequence set to Mum, or a lonely stroll through the park scored by Broken Social Scene. And considering how convoluted and ultimately kind of silly the plot gets, it's surprising that it offers up such an understated look at love versus obsession, and how effectively it blurs the line sometimes.
  
  I wasn't really aware of the world around me when this came out but I imagine it was marketed pretty heavily as a typical thriller. In that regard, it's an utter disappointment; the worst that could possibly happen to poor Matthew is being trapped in a moderately uncomfortable corporate marriage. If the stakes don't seem higher, I think that's partially Hartnett's fault, because he just doesn't sell much to me in the scope of this movie. I think that this falls in the same category of film as Enduring Love, where the sum is worth more than its parts and everything seems to gel despite itself. Something you'd watch once, dwell on fondly and never come back to. Which is good, but really, this film could have been better.

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  July 1, 2008

  pier007

  stretched, contrived, and overly stylized modern hitchcockian tale about obsessive love.

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  March 14, 2007

  SarahG1988

  "Wicker Park" is a tale of obsession on many levels. It is told partly in flashback, so that you have to piece the events together and figure out how far back the action of the film began -- what is now and what was then. The director uses split-screen techniques that enhance the... read more look and feel of the film, lifting it from the realm of the ordinary to the plane of art. A haunting theme weaves its way through this labyrinth of lies, leading to a satisfying (because inevitable) conclusion.
  
  Wicker Park has to be one of the best Romance Dramas I?ve seen. It succeeds on a level. What I liked about it was that it wasn?t directed by an American director, we are seeing this through the perspective of Scottish director; Paul McGuigan, who recently used Hartnett in Lucky Number Slevin. For me he brings a whole different slant to the genre.
  It was easy to tell what was flashback and what was here-and-now. But the story is complicated (not convoluted) and does require some sorting out. As for being cliched, I found the film quite the opposite. It could have gone in some trite, hackneyed directions but didn't. And while some people might think the ending is the cliché of all clichés, I thought that, emotionally, it was absolutely right and the only possible way to end the film
  
  The film does indeed feature characters who possess unhealthy romantic obsessions, but these characters are not presented here as cartoonish psychopaths. Instead, they are presented as otherwise reasonable people compelled to do things that are less-than-reasonable, but understandable. Accordingly, the "action" here is not of the harpy-with-butcher-knife variety: "Wicker Park" builds excitement cumulatively, in the manner of a good mystery, as the complete picture coalesces through events revealed in a non-linear structure (reminiscent of several sequences from "The Rules of Attraction"). The acting appropriately lacks flashiness (with the exception of comic relief, Matthew Lillard), which grounds the film in a more believable reality. What was also brilliant was the intensity of the love we feel between Matthew and Lisa. the anguish they have felt the past two years from being unknowingly torn apart by a vindictive and crushed "friend" of Lisa's. These things said, one's enjoyment of "Wicker Park" may owe in great part to knowing to which genre this film belongs.
  
  The camera-work is extremely well done, and, despite some comments by my friends on the site, the plot has no real holes. everything is revealed with perfect timing, and the songs absolutely heighten the emotion of each scene. the characters were eccentric and go to such great lengths for love. What I enjoyed was the fact. not only do we end up seeing that Alex has motive, we can almost relate to her....although we do not agree with her actions, she becomes more vulnerable and human to the audience.
  
  Probably one of the most memorable scenes for me is the end scene. Some people might argue that it seems cliché?s and predictable but it just seems real. That emotion felt with the Coldplay song just makes you feel for these characters and really shed a tear-I most certainly did.
  
  Overall, in my opinion Wicker Park has to be one of the most underated films of this decade. It is most certainly a recommendable film which I wish everybody would watch and see it for it?s beautiful score and direction. Ignore the comments on this site!

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• 
  
  March 1, 2007

  purplemegan

  I really liked this movie. And I cried so hard at the end because I was so happy they found each other.

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  November 20, 2006

  crazydannielle16

  Not needed sex scenes. Otherwise, this is an incredible movie.

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  October 9, 2011

  xas5

  I cannot express enough how touching and deeply thought out this film is. The performances are perfect all around, especially from Josh Hartnett and Diane Kruger and the plot, though structurally challenging as it may present itself, is worth the second or third viewing to soak i... read moren all the film's maze-like qualities. Wicker Park is truly the most heartfelt film I feel I have ever seen, with each music choice placed perfectly throughout to evoke emotion from every action and reaction. One of my all-time favorite films.

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• 
  
  June 9, 2008

  Yinali

  Super weird.

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  March 5, 2008

  Nutterjr

  Wicker Park, a deeply psychological story about love and obsession, has an interesting approach thus making it enjoyable to watch.

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• 
  
  January 24, 2007

  wbgoose13

  Slight story made initially intriguing by visual style.

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• Josh Hartnett as Matthew
• Matthew Lillard as Luke
• Diane Kruger as Lisa
• Rose Byrne as Alex
• Jessica Paré as Rebecca
• Vlasta Vrana as Jeweler

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

• 
  Serendipity (64%)
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  The History Boys (29%)
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• • Alex: Love makes you do crazy things, insane things. Things in a million years you'd never see yourself do. But there you are doing them... can't help it.

• In which movie did Josh Hartnett play a young man named Matt who was desperately searching for a woman he loved named Lisa?  Answer »
• In what city does the majority of "Wicker Park" take place?  Answer »
• This actor was supposed to play the lead in 'Wicker Park' but turned it down because he had other movie commitments.. the role then went to Josh Hartnett  Answer »
• Which of these films have Bruce Willis not played in?  Answer »

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