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List Price: $14.98 | | Label: MGM (Video & DVD)
Salesrank: 12182
Released: December 28, 2004 |
| Our Price: $2.18 |
| Used Price: $0.54 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Enter the torrid and treacherous world of Wicker Park where deception and seduction walk hand in hand. Starring an outstanding cast of Hollywood's hottest young stars including Josh Hartnett (Pearl Harbor) Rose Byrne (Troy) Matthew Dillard (Scream) and Diane Kruger (Troy) Wicker Park) is a sizzling action-packed noir thriller that will leave you breathless.What if the woman you loved disappeared without a word? Without a trace? How far would you go to find her again? When Matthew (Hartnett) glimpses his lost love (Kruger) in a crowded cafe he's determined not to lose her a second time. But determination soon turns to obsession as Matthew finds himself on a dangerous and chilling journey where no one is who they seem...and chance meetings with a sexy brunette (Byrne) might unravel friendships careers...and lives.System Requirements: Running Time 115 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA Rating: PG-13 UPC: 027616921529 Manufacturer No: 1008121
Description of Wicker Park:
No, Josh Hartnett doesn't make the most convincing corporate up-and-comer in the world, but then Matthew, his character in this pensive romantic drama, is supposed to be uncomfortable in his business costume. He's a photographer at heart, a sensitive guy who abandoned that passion when Lisa (Diane Kruger), his enigmatic other true love, abandoned him. Their romance had an oddly abrupt end after Lisa left without a word, so when Matthew thinks he sees her upon returning to Chicago, he starts lying to his fiancée and practically stalking his old flame before becoming entangled in a strange tryst with a lovesick nurse (Rose Byrne). The MGM publicity department busied itself trying to promote this remake of L'Appartement (1996) as some kind of heavy-breathing Fatal Attraction, and director Paul McGuigan certainly fills it with enough slick split-screens and MTV-soundtrack moments to hype it, yet it isn't even remotely a thriller. There are flashbacks upon flashbacks--Vanilla Sky begins to feel linear in comparison--and the screenplay insists on spelling everything out so we'll be sure to get how thoughtful it really is, but it all isn't half bad. Though Hartnett is a little out of his depth, his gentle, beleaguered masculinity works well, and the women are both compelling: Kruger redeems herself after being more wooden than the Trojan Horse in Troy, and Byrne is quite good. Even Matthew Lillard does solid work as Matthew's vulnerable, big-talking buddy. Somewhere in all of it is a surprisingly adult look at the things people do when love seems either too perilously close or too far away to believe in. --Steve Wiecking
Wicker Park Reviews:
Rose Byrne: Sensational. 'Nuff Said! 
2008-07-28 - 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.
Flashy Soap Opera 
2008-07-07 - 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-sexy.
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.
Wicker Park 
2008-07-03 - 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.
Worth a peek!
2008-06-26 - 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.
Great Movie that keeps you watching.........
2008-06-25 - 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!
