Customer Reviews:

• Surprisingly good movie, not your average cliched romance
  I picked up Wicker Park at random at my local Blockbuster. After watching the first 20 minutes I found myself bored: ok, Matthew is a young up-and-coming businessman who, on the eve of a business trip overseas, runs into a woman who he thinks is his long-lost love Lisa. So he cancels his trip and starts hunting for her. Where is this going?
  
  But in the end, I'm so glad I braved on. The plot thickens and the appearance of a brunette Lisa starts to make things interesting. Even though Harnett's acting leaves much to be desired, Australian actress Byrne simply gets better and better as the film progresses. The film does involved quite a number of flashbacks, but, contrary to the Amazon official reviewer's complaint, they are very easy to follow. The director uses flashes (literally) to let the audience know they are watching a flashback. Even without these cues, the "time travel" is not confusing at all -- and I'm someone who usually loathes flashbacks (or flash-forwards).
  
  I have not watched the 1996 French flick of which Wicker Park is a remake (man, can't Hollywood churn out any good originals no more?), so I'm not going to make a comparison of the two. But Wicker Park stands well on its own. After Alex's appearance, the plot has enough suspense to make the remainder 90 minutes quite enjoyable. Ultimately, it's a love story: unwavering love and desperate love, never-ending love and secret love. If you ever felt a long-lasting crush on someone, this is a great film for you. Even if you never did, this is still a film worthy of two hours.
  
  The only gripes I have of the film are, first, there's no nudity at all (a sexually charged film with no simulated sex?!), and two, I never understood the Daniel character....more info
• Rose Byrne: Sensational. 'Nuff Said!
  I'll try not to make this sound like a love letter to Rose Byrne, but I apologize in advance if it comes across as such. I hope people will agree with me when I say that her performance alone makes this movie a must see.
  
  Rose is not the only reason this movie is great. It is a heart-wrenching, tragic love story/mystery brought to life with stunning visual style. Wicker Park is a moving painting augmented by a poetic story. It is a tale of a man, Matthew (played by Josh Hartnett) desperately searching for a lost love, Lisa (Diane Kruger). The film is told in a non-linear fashion and key plot points are revealed at precisely the right time to keep the viewer guessing. This is kind of a spoiler; but the reason his love is lost is because of the manipulative scheming of Alex (Rose Byrne's character). She falls hopelessly in love with Matthew from afar before he even knows who she is. Without too much trouble she is able to devise a plan which allows her to break up the lovers and at the same time get close to Matthew. That's the details of this particular film, but what it boils down to is a classic theme: person A loves person B while person C loves person A. Unfortunately person A essentially doesn't know that person C exists. It's a basic story that almost everyone can relate to in some form or another.
  
  Okay back to the main subject of my review. Yes, Josh Hartnett is well cast and Diane Kruger is adequate in her role, but the real star of the show is Rose Byrne. Her character is not fully revealed until 45 minutes into the film, but from that moment on, you will forever be under her spell. Rose is perfectly cast. No one can say as much with just their eyes and facial expressions as Rose Byrne can. Love, hurt, anger, fear, sadness, remorse, embarrassment, and elation are all easily displayed without so much as a word. And what a beautiful face it is, her eyes alone make me weak. Thankfully the filmmakers were aware of this and took full advantage; frequently shooting her in close-up.
  
  Rose's character Alex can easily be seen as the villain because she does everything in her power to keep Matthew and Lisa apart. Just like in real life, however, everything isn't black and white. "Love makes you do crazy things," as Rose's character declares. It depends on who you personally identify with. Different viewers will sympathize with different characters, and that is a credit to the dramatic story and to the filmmakers.
  
  As mentioned earlier, Wicker Park is beautifully photographed and edited (split screen is used frequently to great effect) and the music/score enhances every scene perfectly. Ideally I would give this movie 4.5 stars if I could (I reserve the five stars for a select few) and I can't think of many better ways to spend two hours.
  ...more info
• Brilliant, sad, wonderful movie!
  I highly recommend this movie.I've seen it 4 times already and It's still my favorite movie. THe actors are just great and very convincing, the soundtrack is overwelming,and..well It's such a great movie, really! Buy it, watch it, have FUN! :)...more info
• Quite mysterious, but eventually all the strings get attached and it all makes sense.
  Mathew falls in love with Lisa, whom he sees for the first time while passing next to the shop he works at. They meet up and both deeply fall in love, then she disappears without leaving trace.
  
  He starts a new life after failing to find Lisa, dates another girl for 2 years, whom is supposed to later get married to him, but however he is still haunted by the memories of Lisa and the question of why she left him.
  
  Then one day at a restaurant he spots Lisa very quickly before she leaves. He traces her through the hotel key room she leaves at the restaurant, and starts afterwards throughout the movie following many traces of her until he eventually leads himself to another Lisa, however not the same blonde Lisa he was in love with!
  
  In the end we realize that this new Lisa (brunette) faked her identity. Her actually name was Alex. She was deeply in love with Mathew for a long time without him knowing. She fell in love with him at first sight the same way he fell in love with Lisa!
  
  In fact, she was Lisa's close friend, but when she discovered her relationship with Mathew, she did all she can to keep them apart, and she succeeded to keep them so for 2 years. Evetually Mathew discovers her lie and finds the Lisa he loves and gets back together with her.
  
  Quite mysterious movie and not very easy to follow at first, however excellent story that keeps you thinking while watching the film.
  
  This movie for me was mainly about jealousy. How jealousy could hurt others. Alex was jealous because her friend Lisa was deeply in love with Mathew, so she decided to ruin their love. Didn't we see many cases like this in our lives?
  
  Also, cheating was a major thing in this movie. Mathew cheats on his fiancee with Lisa (emotionally). He also cheats on Lisa with Alex (physically). Alex cheats on her boy friend with Mathew. The only faithful one was Lisa. However, cheating wasn't stressed much on in this movie even though it was a major act.
  
  Love at first sight was also very much stressed on. I do not know if it actually exists, but many people seem to believe it does.
  
  Finally, some of your closest friends could turn up to be your worst enemies. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.
  ...more info
• Worth a peek!
  I first saw Wicker Park when I rented it on DVD. It is a movie that requires a great deal of concentration to watch to make sure that you catch all of the clues. At times, it becomes difficult to determine if you are watching a flashback or the present. Sometimes, the movie requires that you suspend your belief. For example, it should have been made before the advent of the cell phone. It is hard to accept the movie's premise given the ease with which one can call another person nowadays. However, in spite of all of this, I highly recommend that you watch it. In my opinion, the movie has one of the best endings ever filmed. The music is perfect and the setting of the last scene is incredible! I purchased the DVD and every now and then, I fast forward to the last scene just to experience the emotions that it engenders....more info
• She lied, because she, like, loved him.
  Feeling a bit sheepish, I rented this as a guilty pleasure movie. Was there guilt? Not so much. Was I pleased? Kinda.
  
  The previews really tried to make Wicker Park look like a provocative, girl goes missing, boy goes crazy trying to find her movie. When really, it's more of a meditation on how we love and what we'll do to get it. Not that it runs very deep, don't get me wrong. There's nothing profound going on, and it veers toward the implausible again and again. But, the director gets credit for trying.
  
  It's an easy on the eyes movie, with ok acting and stylish editing. Josh Hartnett isn't exactly riveting, but the women are good, and Matthew Lillard is presented in small enough doses so that he's fun to watch, as opposed to annoying.
  
  It's told in flashback format, a tool to make the mystery more mysterious, and if you stumble a bit, don't worry, the movie explains everything in layman's terms eventually -- you'll get it.
  
  Watching this movie was like eating half a pack of twizzler's, or some kind of candy that you like -- a nice treat that isn't good for you in large doses....more info
• ?
  Contrived and wholly uncharming. You have to wait, sit through semi-confusing and dull scenes, waiting for the story to finally unravel and reveal itself. Josh Hartnett plays a young, up-and-coming businessman about to embark on a business trip to China, poised to propose to his girlfriend, when he unexpectedly encounters an "echo" from his past-- the one woman he ever loved (but who disappeared without any explanation). Mystery and misery surround this disappearance, and Hartnett risks his career and relationship to follow his "hunch"-- in search of belated answers about his lost love. Through a series of flashbacks, the story grows ever-clearer, illustrating what Hartnett lost when he lost his one true love, and what unfolds is the realization that this is a reverse (not to add perverse) and cheapened take on time-worn Othello (not precisely the same, but still involves a cunning, lying, jealous person who stands between two lovers, keeping them apart by manipulatively filling each of them with doubts about the other). For a better take on a similar theme, revisit the not-oft watched but considerably better/more intense interpretation of Othello, O, starring-- surprise, surprise-- Josh Hartnett! ...more info
• A head-scratcher.
  Wicker Park starring Josh Hartnett is one confusing movie. There are too many flashblacks, the plot overlaps in present time, it's just one big passionless mess. Rose Byrne scares me and Diane Kruger needs to take an acting class, overall Wicker Park should have never been released. The only reason I give it two stars is for the location of the film, otherwise than that, skip this one....more info
• HORRIBLE!!!!!
  I could not say enough bad things about this move. The flashbacks were akward and it was so boring!...more info
• Chickflick
  "Wicker Park" is pretty bad. For one thing, it's packaged ("Thriller") as something it is not. What it is however, is a romance - and one that pushes all the cheap emotional buttons. Corporate dreamboat, Matthew (Josh Hartnett), on the eve of his upcoming marriage is preparing, in a restaurant party in Chicago, to go off to China to make money for his company. But Chicago holds memories, and by being there he's reminded of a nagging longing for an ex- he dated two years before. And then, coincidence be damned, he thinks he catches a glimpse of her - Lisa -- as she's leaving. Could it be? Lisa?
  
  Now, Shakespeare used coincidence, and Thomas Hardy was not above using the lost-letter-at-a-critical-moment device, but "Wicker Park" is a virtual litany of missed phone calls, meetings, misunderstandings, and one pathetic Iago of a villainess (Rose Byrne as Alex). But Byrne can act, and against all odds, she actually lifts this ultimately treacly mess. (Matthew Lillard as Matt's friend Daniel, is also good.) And Byrne certainly acts circles around the bad Josh Hartnett, who somehow succeeds in maintaining a romantic frown for the entire move. I guess that counts for something - great face muscles? But the result is that he looks perpetually like a bruised Bambi. But back to Alex, who, like Iago with a wounded heart, deliberately misleads the lovers, because she has her own flame burning for Matt. Good acting aside, she is however left with the unfortunate line, "Love makes you do crazy things", which is right up there with "Love Story's" "Love means never having to say you're sorry." (Well, in fairness, it's probably a wiser statement.) The love interest in all this, Lisa ("Troy's" Diane Kruger), really didn't register with me at all - probably because her character never gets any traction due to the excessive use of flashbacks. Still, much has been said about how Kruger shows more of a pulse in "Wicker Park," than she did in "Troy." I disagree, if for no other reason than that "Troy's" a better movie. In "Troy" you have guys with swords and stuff, which is certainly more "thrilling" than "Wicker Park." And Kruger's got the face that launched a thousand ships. I saw them. And a better wardrobe!
  
  ...more info
• Good plot, Hartnett was very good, but missed...
  Basically I felt this movie missed its mark.
  Josh Hartnett was surprisingly good, his acting portraying a young man desperately in love. But it was a dour dark movie and you really had to sit through it to appreciate it. The plot was very intriguing, the ultimate betrayal was moving, but somehow it all didn't work. I have nothing to compare it to, as I never saw the foreign film it was based on.
  I also didn't like Matthew's treatment of his fiancee and no build-up of that aspect of his life so the viewer never feels he's giving anything up by not going to China. ...more info
• Wicker Park Is Moody and Vacant. Interesting But Convoluted
  [CONTAINS MILD SPOILERS] One strange thing is that when I saw the trailer of 'Wicker Park,' I thought this film must be a Hitchcock-like thriller. Now I saw it, and found it isn't. It is more like a romance shot with a Brian DePalma touch -- romantic, moody, and very convoluted. Most likely you don't believe the story, OK, but you are constantly entertained. Turn a blind eye to unbelievable coincidences and silly decisions that the characters make.
  
  This is another (some say, ruined) remake of French film 'L'Appartment' (1996) starring Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel. The MGM/Lakeshore Entertainment remake, directed by Paul McGuigan ('Gangster No,1'), stars instead Josh Hartnett as Matthew, a successful businessman who is engaged to beautiful Rebecca (Jessica Pare), and is about to travel to China on business. But at the restroom of a restaurant, he overhears a familiar voice of someone he knew very well, in fact, someone he loved two years ago.
  
  She is Lisa (Diane Kruger, 'Troy'), and instead of going to the airport, Matthew tracks down his ex-love to one hotel room. Then, the flashback sections bring us the romantic events between Lisa and Matthew, seen from his point of view -- how he met her in the snowy city of Chicago, how he talked to her at a shop where Matthew's buddy (Matthew Lillard) works, and how Matthew loved her so passionately.
  
  But suddenly Lisa disappeared, abruptly, leaving any trace behind. And more incredible thing is (to him, and to us all), as Matthew (of the present tense) follows the clues of Lisa's whereabouts, he finds himself in Lisa's room (don't ask me how he get in), finds another girl (Rose Byrne, also 'Troy' as Briseis) who claims she is Lisa.
  
  OK, let's stop it, for there are more to come, more to surprise us. The film is basically a love story seen from more than one perspectives, but director McGuigan uses too many flashbacks explaining the 'truths' which not only mystify our mind, but grab our head, and keep on twisting them. I eventually understood, and never lost interest in, what really happened to the characters, but still do not know what is the film's point after all, with these jumbled time order and even split screens. Did we really need these styles to tell this story, especially when this is not a thriller?
  
  I was not a little impressed with the acting of the four main cast. While Josh Hartnett is the weakest link, that is probably his character acts in a very impossible way. Kruger is much better than in 'Troy' but it is Rose Byrne who is really memorable, pulling off this very demanding role. And it is time we should give Matthew Lillard a chance to do something different. He is not bad; it is that he deserves better than playing just another wiseacre buddy who turns out not as wise as the main character.
  
  Certainly 'Wicker Park' keeps you guessing, as long as you just stop thinking. Don't think about why all these characters do not use e-mail when they use cell phones ten times a day. Don't think about why three (or more, I am afraid) characters leave messages on paper, surely troublesome and unreliable way. And it is beautifully shot, with the frosty streets and three charming ladies. Expect that, it is quite empty. ...more info
• Made me want to drop acid.
  Possibly the worst film of the last ten years. Certainly the worst I have seen. When it was over I had to open all the windows (minus 15C here), disinfect my TV, and throw out my DVD player (lucky it wasn't on Blu-Ray!).
  
  Ebert and Roeper gave this dog two thumbs up, proving that at least two people in the world are still doing Goofballs, or Mushrooms, or whatever laugh-a-minute cocktail you youngsters are into.
  
  The good news is that if you do sit though this stinker, Pearl Harbour will play like a Charlie Kaufman movie....more info
• Great Movie that keeps you watching.........
  When I first got this movie I thought it was an erotic thriller, but its actually a good thriller. The cast is great especially the chemistry between Josh Hartnett and Diane Kruger.I loved it because the ending is at least a happy one! ...more info
• Much different than the previews lead you to believe...
  I was very surprised at this melancholy movie, after months of previews building it up as a thriller. I was even more surprised that I ended up liking it.
  
  The beginning of the movie is confusing... the flashbacks are fast and furious and you can get lost if you're not paying attention. They don't lead in very well and the endings are unclear at times.
  
  I am not typically a fan of Harnett, but I felt he really played this role well. He captured his character's desperation and emotion perfectly. I was also very impressed with Lillard, who took a serious turn in this movie and pulled it off believeably.
  
  I hate to drag out a synopsis, because I don't want to ruin the movie, but I will suffice it to say that I'd recommend giving it a shot. I expected to be disappointed after realizing it was not a thriller, but instead was plesantly surprised and intrigued....more info
• BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  I rented this movie because I thought it looked good and didn't want to buy it if it got bad reviews. Anyways this is a very confusing movie it has all these flashbacks and hard to follow. I couldn't stay awake it was so boring. Don't get this you will regret it. ...more info
• TWO ships passing in the night!
  REALLY A STUPID MOVIE THAT MAKES NO SENSE... AS IN COMMON SENSE! I MEAN... COME ON IF YOU SEE BROKEN HEELS AND THE SAME COAT ON THE FLOOR OF AN APARTMENT THAT BELONGS TO YOUR GIRLFRIEND...(ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SOLD THE SHOES TO HER)... DO YOU JUST SAY TO YOURSELF..."OH IT'S COINCIDENT"???? AND TO BE NAMED LISA TOO...YA RIGHT...DUH STUPID! THIS MOVIE IS VERY HARD TO FOLLOW AT TIMES TOO FOR THE FLASHBACKS ARE ALL JUMBLED! AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST... IF COMMON SENSE DOES PLAY INTO EFFORT...THEN WHY THE HECK DOESN'T THIS SO CALLED LISA CHICK JUST GO TO MATTHEWS APARTMENT AFTER TWO FRIGGEN YEARS OF LOOKING FOR HIM...PURELY LAME! EVEN TWO SHIPS AS LARGE AS THE TITANIC COULD NOT PASS IN THE NIGHT AS THIS MOVIE MAKES THESE TWO CHARACTER DO!...OR SHOW I SAY... DID! ...more info
• Lots of eye candy, but...
  ...lousy acting, bad casting, and incoherent story.
  
  The two main leads, Josh Hartnett and Diane Kruger, are very telegenic but mediocre actors, with a very limited range which the script only highlights. Hartnett spends 90% of the film looking handsomely befuddled, while Kruger is the epitome of the deer-in-the-headlights.
  
  Kruger is a fairly attractive young woman, but in the looks department she is overshadowed by both Rose Byrne who plays the film's villain, and Jessica Pare, the girl who Hartnett becomes engaged to. I.e. she is far too bland to really fit the role of Stunning Goddess The Hero Cannot Live Without, especially given the competition. I simply couldn't understand how our hero would've possibly chosen her over the other two women on his plate. Byrne is especially fetching, combining both irresistible vulnerability and intense sensuality.
  
  The plot is hopelessly convoluted and improbable, strung together by one coincidence and near-miss-cliffhanger after another. Torturous, in a word. The ending had me laughing out loud, it was so ridiculous...mercifully diluted by the Coldplay tune that comes on during the last 2 minutes.
  
  Yet what kept me watching was the visual beauty of this film...the sets, cinematography, and yes, the amateurish but quite attractive women. ...more info
• oh dear, oh dear this was demoralizing and painful to endure
  boorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrringggggg. I gave it all I could, and this was by far one of the most ill conceived, yawn driven dramas I have seen in decades. Cheesy, horrible miscasting; josh hartnett is juvenile in his abilities to be so much more than that. His endearing obsession is painful to watch, it's redundant and the pain of redundancy echoes into the last three minutes of the film.
  
  Cliff Martinez does the buzz, of Soderberg stuff, so in all, the instrumental was a nice taste. I felt at times placing the movie in an editor and taking out the dialouge and just caressing the music into the Kenwood.
  
  Bland, they should have never remade this, wasn't L'Appartement bad enough as it was, albeit different outcomes?. The director drags us on for two hours of endless twist and turns and Hartnett's obsession, and over-doing it so much is simply grody and unbearable. If you rent this with your girlfriend for the evening with some pizza, be sure to know that she will take your number out of her Helio the next day.
  
  Truly not remarkable, unsatisfying and anyone, anyone that gave this five stars, aside from having really bad taste in cinema, needs to seriously think about what medication they are on. :) j/k
  
  cheers....more info
• Delusions of grandeur...
  
  This is what happens when emo kids grow up to be filmmakers.... well, french film RE-makers to be more exact...
  This kaleidoscopic montage of creepy people doing creepy things and basically calling the proverbial kettle black trips and skips over itself and generally comes across as a pretentious experiment in transitional fades and blurry color techniques. It just may be a 115 minute indie rock music video. But by george if I didn't like it. The previews would have you believe it is a thriller, but its really more of a glorified chick flick. And still, I liked it. The soundtrack really helped this film along with cuts by The Postal Service, The Shins, and Death Cab For Cutie (to name a few) providing the haunting emotions behind every scene.
  
  Though I've seen Josh Hartnett better, (he was amazing in "O") he wasn't too bad. Rose Byrne, who plays Lisa 2, was fantastic as the lovesick "psycho". I really look forward to seeing more of her. It was also nice to see Jessica Pare, who plays Rebecca, in another film. (She and her castmates from Lost & Delirious seem to be doing very well.) The big surprise for me was Matthew Lillard who plays Hartnett's best friend. I hate Matthew Lillard. But his work in this movie completely won me over. He's great. (Be sure to watch the deleted scenes.)
  
  Though a lot of the story turns were obvious, it definitely kept me engaged and tore at my heart. Though the editing was a little flashy, I really enjoyed the direction they took. Merging scenes, mixing up time, camera angles, and using reflections and glass to break up the scenes added to the message of "nothing is at it seems". The whole movie is basically told in the first one minute of the film (particulalry in the extended version) and I knew it right then, but it didn't subtract from my enjoyment of the work at all. A scene I loved in particular was where Byrne's character is applying makeup and they play it in reverse- a very simple but effective tool.
  
  The story almost compliments itself on its cleverness and is sure to point out all of the symbolism- in case you were too busy watching all the pretty colors to notice- but its a solid look at that fine line between romance and stalking portrayed in an adult and attractive manner.
  
  Overall, I really liked watching this film and I love listening to the soundtrack. But all of the characters are really creepy- the men AND the women. And if you don't see that, then... well...
  ...yikes.
  
  EDIT: Its been a day and I don't know if its the soundtrack or what but I'm still thinking about this movie and I want to watch it again....more info
• Im not usually into these movies but this one I liked
  yea maybe this movie was good because Josh Hartnett and Matthew are in it, im not really into these movies, but im suprised because I loved it, this prolly brings a step up for Hartnett, yea the movie starts a lil slow the first 10 min but after it was tight....more info
• Many Cuts Below L'Appartement
  "Wicker Park" was an unworthy remake of the excellent French psychological thriller, "L'Appartment" (1995).
  
  The crux of what went wrong with "Wicker Park" is this - while "L'Appartment"'s plot was the epitome of a first-class thriller: clever, intricate, unpredicatble and kept you guessing right till the end, the US remake was the exact opposite. "Wicker Park" continuously questioned viewers' ability to decipher the labyrinth of deceit and inexplicable occurences, resulting in its spelling out every nuance every step of the way.
  
  For those who have seen and loved the original French flick, it's a no-brainer that the casting was all that much stronger, from Vincent Cassel's lovesick, dazed and confused persona vis-a-vis Josh Hartnett's lost-in-space act, to the dazzlingly mesmerising performance by la belle Monica Bellucci against Diane Kruger, albeit the German model-turned-actress was a beautiful sight to behold and in that regard rightly cast for the role of femme fatale Lisa. (Digressing but some movie trivia here - "L'Appartment" actually helped launch Bellucci's career, at the time when she was still a relatively unknown Italian model-turned-actress playing no more than bit parts in Italian films. In her US movie debut, she starred as Dracula's delicious-looking vampire conquest in Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram's Stoker Dracula" (1992)). What's worth mentioning was Cassel and Bellucci's sizzling on-screen chemistry and compatibility (which resulted in their off-screen romance and eventual marriage), a stark contrast to the outright mismatch in tying up Hartnett's boyish charm with Kruger's aloof sophistication. To be fair, Rose Byrne's performance, as the wilfully deceitful woman whom everyone loved to hate for devising the abominable plan in stifling Matt's and Lisa's budding romance, was on a par with Romane Bohringer's pathetic verging on psychotic depiction of Alex the 'single white female' neighbour in the French original.
  
  Finally, while "Wicker Park" failed to re-enact/mimic/emulate the suspense and ingenuity of "L'Appartement" in more ways than one, if we were to judge the US remake purely from the romantic genre's standpoint, it would fare more acceptably, as it proffered the perfect Hollywood ending where the protagonists, in the fashion of Tom and Meg in "Sleepness in Seattle" and "You've Got Mail", rose above all obstacles to be reunited at the end of the movie. I shan't reveal too much here for those wishing to check out the stylish French version, but suffice it to say the US remake did add value by taking a very different spin on its concluding remarks, something that, for better or worse, gratified and appealed to the optimists in us. ...more info
• THE MASTERPIECE
  This is the best movie I have ever seen. Period. Anyway, too twisted to be perceived by people with small IQ....more info
• Another unnecessary remake.
  Wicker Park (Paul McGuigan, 2004)
  
  McGuigan (Gangster No. 1) takes Gilles Mimouni's script for L'Appartement and modifies it for an American audience, coming up with a confusing mess in the process. Josh Hartnett (Pearl Harbor) plays Matt, a photographer who blows off a trip to China to seal the deal on a major account (for what, exactly, is never stated) in order to pursue a woman who disappeared from his life two years ago, Lisa (the gorgeous Diane Kruger, recently seen in National Treasure). This despite him having a fiancee, Rebecca (Jessica Pare; I've no idea if she's any relation to Michael Pare), who happens to be the brother of a bigwig at the company. Oh, well, blowing off the trip to China probably cost him his job anyway. Also involved in all this is Luke (Matthew "Shaggy" Lillard), an old friend of Matt's who he ran into by chance a few days previous, and Luke's mysterious girlfriend Alex (Rose Byrne, recently in I Capture the Castle), along with a woman Matt finds while tracking Lisa down.
  
  It actually all makes for a great story, and done properly, it could have been quite a good thriller. However, "properly" is not the correct word for this. It's got the same disappointment factor as Christopher Nolan's recent and similarly painful take on Erik Skjoldbaerg's brilliant film Insomnia, and comes with the same recommendation: just rent the original instead. The remake is not worth your time.
  
  The one thing about the movie that makes it worth watching is that it's one of those few moments where we find out Matthew Lillard really can act. This may be the most low-key role he's ever played, and he pulls it off wonderfully; easy the best role I've seen him in since The Curve. Lillard, while no one is looking, is liable to develop into a truly fantastic actor. If you're a fan, this movie is a must-see; for everyone else, don't bother. **...more info
• It Was A Mind Bender to Follow but I LOVED IT
  I thought it was an incredibly passionate film. It was powerful to me. I thought that the way it was done was brilliant. They took a kinda typical love story and made something very different out of it. It was great....more info
• Obsession
  While some aspects of this plot are fairly far-fetched, it is nevertheless a mystery story. It centers around the concept of obsession, but not in the way it first appears. The film has a nice dreamlike quality to it & the subtle soundtrack helps push the story forward. As it is full of flashbacks by 3 of the characters, it kind of resembles the undoing of an omelet.
  
  It is fitting that one of the characters is an actress in a Shakesperian play; many of Shakespeare's storylines featured motifs of mistaken identity. So too is the case in this film. Still, mistaken identity or not, this movie proves that only Josh Hartnett could get away with turning a breaking-and-entering into a sleepover!
  
  The acting is of a high caliber; both Rose Byrne & Diane Kruger are capable actresses (not to mention easy on the eyes!). Hartnett has once again expanded his range, having acted in everything from a war movie (Black Hawk Down) to a fun & silly Romantic Comedy (40 Days and 40 Nights). He has done a good job of preventing his career from being typecast.
  
  This is a good film that explores how being someone's secret admirer can cross the line into the territory of being a stalker very easily. It is and edgy film, but would have been better with an "R" rating. For myself, it also did a good job of demonstrating the crazy stuff that women do that drives men like me nuts!!
  ...more info
• Loses steam
  Wicker Park seems to lose it's mysterious overtones after a while, and I stopped caring about any of the characters. There's no real mystery in the whole movie. Hartnet seems out of place as an executive, and Lilard is his normal self. His acting making his characters seems immature....more info
• Great Movie, Defies Ordinary Hollywood conventions
  This was a great thriller, without any of the gratuitous violence or nudity. Not that there is anything wrong with movies that have these sometimes necessary distractions. But Wicker Park does not need these things to carry itself and is a wonderfully suspenseful, well-written movie with medium-bodied dialogue that keeps you trying to figure out exactly what is going on, but always answering your questions. Unlike some movies that are intentionally confusing and never come full circle, Wicker Park ties up all the lose ends and makes the unbelievable work, masterfully.
  Josh Harnett and his 2 co-stars are down to earth, well developed and ordinary, their commonality adding even more to the movie and leaving you wistfully wishing that your brief introduction to them could last more than 2 hours. Overall, it was a great movie, and worht your rental time....more info
• Flashy Soap Opera
  Paul McGuigan's "Wicker Park" is like a demented episode of friends without the self-conscious humor. Matthew is a twentysomething executive type engaged to his boss's sister but seriously pining for his old lover, Lisa, who left without a trace two years earlier. When Matthew and his fiancee return to Chicago (following Matthew's two year self-exile in New York), Matt hooks up with Luke, an old buddy who was privy to the whole Lisa drama. Luke has recently begun dating Alex, an elusive actress who is driving him crazy. Soon after his return, Matthew spies the long-missing Lisa in a restaurant where he is having a drink with his fiancee and her brother. Or does he? Things start to get really complicated from there on out, so it's important to pay attention in order to keep all the threads straight, as the lives of all the characters intersect in unexpected ways. It's advertised as a thriller but there's nothing really thrilling about "Wicker Park"; despite it twists and turns, it is, first and foremost, a soap opera, and one that, despite its subject matter, is oddly un-.
  
  Director McGuigan does a fair job translating a French film into an American remake. It has a flashy, jumpy quality that keeps the viewer on edge, although that doesn't always work in the film's favor. Josh Hartnett delivers a fine performance as Matthew, the film's hero; he reminds me a lot of Timothy Hutton back in his heyday. This is, arguably, one of his best performances. As the long-lost lover, Diane Kruger is attractive but there seems to be something missing from her Lisa; she's not all that interesting and it's hard to believe that she cares much for Matthew. Much better is Rose Byrne as the secretive Alex; is it a coincidence that she shares the same name as the femme fatale in "Fatal Attraction"? As played by Byrne, Alex is hot and cold, a dynamic mystery woman playing a dangerous game. Matthew Lillard, as Luke, is believable but I have never seen much variation in any of his performances; maybe that has more to do with the kind of roles he keeps getting.
  
  While it starts out interestingly enough, "Wicker Park" becomes too convoluted and contrived to maintain its initial momentum. ...more info
• Not Worth It
  Such false advertising! All I have to say is that this is a pretentious, esoteric piece of crap trying to be a "European" film. I understand it may be hard for actors Josh Hartnett and Rose Byrne's age to find quality work, but wow.
  Pretty much, nothing happens in this film. The flashbacks and left-out details make it seem like much more is going on than it actually is. Our sympathetic villain(s?) really aren't that threatening as they try to break up a relationship the audience really isn't invested in in the first place. Don't think this is Fatal Attraction or even Sea of Love. These actors have better performances in other movies, so go buy those instead....more info
• Great couples film
  Just got done watching this movie and I've got to say I thought it was an excellent film.
  Now this isn't "film noir" or "story development" professional criticism here--I'm speaking strictly from the perspective of a guy who likes relationship films (case in point, Vanilla Sky is my favorite film).
  Wicker Park was in theaters for all of 2 weeks and the preview just wasn't strong enough for me to care that much (seemed too nutty).
  But in all sincerity the movie's really emotionally wrenching, in a good way. It builds slowly, switching between the past and present to develop the movie's plot. And the acting plays out extremely well also, w/ impressive performances from the entire cast.
  I give it 4 stars because I don't want to build anyone's expectations prior to watching it. But my own true personal rating is five stars....more info
• Wooo
  This was a great movie.. Rose Byrne, that girl was scary.. Makes you wonder.. Hey I'm trying not to give the game away here... ...more info
• Watch this DVD!!
  Really! Watch it! Watch it!! You can set it on your coffee table and watch it. You can prop it up against the baseboard of your kitchen wall and watch it. You can watch it as it sits on the seat of your car. You can watch it while it floats in a pond. You could also put it into a DVD player and watch it... in any case the effect is the same. A lot of films allow you to stop thinking for a while... this one requires it. ...more info
• Wicker Park
  I received the movie in the time frame that I was suppose to. Great condition! I've used Amazon often for purchases, and they have YET to fail me. Amazon is truly a dependable and reliable source for purchasing products....more info
• He's wicked Cute - but the movie still sucks!
  OK, she's pretty - he's stinkin' cute - but the movie sucks! the writing, direction, plot, etc. From the blurb on the cover, i was expecting suspence, romance, mystery - and the only mystery was - "why did i stay up late on a weeknight to watch this?" my sweet Norman even said it was lame, and he likes most any movie, but, he did fall asleep halfway through, and i had to watch the rest with Norman drooling on my PJ top and the romote in hand, trying to hear over my beloved's snoring.... ...more info