This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

"Wicker Park" is an absorbing romantic mystery about lost love, obsession and tangled relationships and the puzzle at the heart of its convoluted story is made more interesting by its non-linear narrative. Misunderstandings, coincidences and deception all play their parts in what takes place and its neat twists add enormously to the enjoyment of watching this rather intense and often unpredictable drama.After living in New York City for a couple of years, advertising executive Matthew Simon (Josh Hartnett) returns to Chicago with his fiancee Rebecca (Jessica Pare) and attends a business lunch at Bellucci's restaurant ahead of a planned business trip to China. When he catches sight of a woman he believes is his ex-girlfriend Lisa (Diane Kruger), he immediately follows her and after failing to catch up with her, keeps a hotel key card that he finds in the phone booth that she's just vacated. After Rebecca waves him off at the airport, Matthew decides not to catch his plane and instead goes off in search of Lisa.Lisa was the girl who, as well as being the love of Matthew's life, had left him heartbroken two years earlier when she'd disappeared without any explanation and had never contacted him since. Their relationship had started when he'd been working in a Chicago camera shop and fell in love with her at first sight. Matthew had initially stalked her for a while not realizing that she was aware of him and when their paths eventually crossed, it became clear that she was also attracted to him. Their relationship continued until Matthew was offered a more lucrative job in New York City and suggested that they relocate and move in together. Lisa agreed to meet him in Wicker Park to give him a decision but instead stood him up and left him completely puzzled and heartbroken by what she'd done.The key card he'd found in the phone booth leads Matthew to a room in "The Drake" hotel where he discovers some further clues that lead him to what he believes is Lisa's apartment. When he breaks in, he meets another young woman who's also called Lisa. She tells him that she'd stayed at "The Drake" to avoid a man who was stalking her and explaining that she's terrified of him, says that she'd feel a lot more at ease if Matthew could stay the night with her. He agrees to this and is subsequently seduced by the apparently grateful Lisa.One night, Matthew's best friend Luke (Matthew Lillard), insists on taking him to see a Shakespearean play in which his girlfriend Alex (Rose Byrne) is one of the players and after the performance, Matthew leaves promptly not knowing that the heavily made-up Alex is, in fact, the woman who'd so recently seduced him. Most of the reasons for everything that had taken place involving Matthew, Lisa, Alex and Luke are eventually revealed in a meeting that takes place in Bellucci's and this prompts the determined Matthew to go back to the airport in the hope of finally tracking down the girl he loves.The nature of the movie's plot generates a disconcerting atmosphere that's beautifully complemented by the use of numerous film noir motifs such as the use of mirrors, the presence of doubles (e. g. 2 Lisas, 2 characters who fall in love at first sight etc.), a character who uses more than one identity and the way in which the past has such a strong hold over the present. Similarly, its splintered chronology, use of split screen techniques and flashbacks that provide multiple viewpoints, are also all highly effective in serving the same purpose. There's a marked difference between the relaxed, spontaneous Matthew who's seen working in the camera shop and the rather distant-looking young man who doesn't seem to have his heart in it when he's at the business lunch at Bellucci's or the jewellery store he visits with the intention of buying a ring for Rebecca. In his very natural performance, Josh Hartnett reflects such changes in his character's demeanour with some skill and subtlety and Diane Kruger and Matthew Lillard perform capably in their roles. Rose Byrne, however, outshines everyone else in the cast as the deceitful, obsessive and clearly unhinged Alex who's also both hateful and pitiful."Wicker Park" is a movie that has to be seen more than once in order to fully appreciate it and this, no doubt, must've had some effect on the level of commercial success that it achieved.

This film is a very good adaption of the French film L Appartement. Actually the Hollywood version is an improvement of the original. In Wicker Park the main characters as played by Josh Hartnett, Diane Krueger, Rose Byrne and Matthew Lillard are likable despite their double life or shortcomings which they might be harbouring. One actually cares about the characters and the intriguing story which is told partially in flashback, unlike the French film where the characters all seemed to be Jerks. The way the film progresses, reflects the disjointed mind of the main protagonists as some sort of misfortune seems to keep the two main lovers apart whilst a second romance continuously fails to materialize. This film and the original French one apparently are a loose adaption of the Shakespeare comedy a Midsummer's Night dream. The French film is certainly not a comedy but this one is imbued with a certain lightheartedness despite the proceedings, that makes it very palpable. A recommended watch, characters continue to live on after the film ends

Twisty, flashback(and forth) "romantic" (well, sort of) melodrama has Rose Byrne stealing the film as a lovestruck theatre actress doing everything she can to keep performance artist Diane Kruger and ad exec Josh Hartnett apart. Responsible for the distance that kept Hartnett and Kruger from living together and continuing their romance, Byrne wants Hartnett for herself, seemingly living in a fantasy where she might have him if her efforts pay off. It gets complicated when Byrne enters a relationship with Matthew Lillard, Hartnett's pal! It seems Byrne will do whatever it takes--including using the best friend, leading him on to believe there's a possibility of love and romance--to secure Hartnett, but will she be able to continue the deception? The film is challenging, taking us backwards and forwards to show us how Hartnett wound up with the sister of a colleague he works for at his firm, why he is so determined to find Krueger, how he first saw Krueger and fell in love immediately, how Byrne found Hartnett and fell in love with him immediately, the steps Byrne took (like erasing messages on an answering machine, holding onto a letter, using phone calls to draw Krueger away where she can't be seen by Hartnett, sleeping in Krueger's place and taking her name to keep Hartnett from knowing she had returned from Paris, etc) to try and maintain the separation Hartnett and Krueger have, how Lillard is kept in the dark regarding Byrne's attraction to Hartnett and why she is so elusive towards him emotionally (Hartnett doesn't realize Byrne and Lillard are dating, either!), and how Byrne became associated with Krueger (adjacent apartments).All four performers put forth all the effort their talents could afford, with Byrne positing all the anguish and heart-felt desire her lovelorn character goes through. The obsessive quest of Hartnett to find his beloved (before and after he gains her love) can be borderline creepy at times (in her apartment, for instance or watching her while she trains at a gym), but when Coldplay starts up at the end, you kind of can't help but celebrate their coming together. But Byrne's aching is palpable…she does some horrible things (as she attests to at the end) but it is because she adores Hartnett so much (even if it would never be returned in kind). Lillard, unfortunately, is stuck as the odd man out who was being led around for no purpose other than to be dumped when the time was apt. The difficult labyrinthine nature for which the plot is told could frustrate some, but I found the direction rather compelling in how Byrne, in particular, unfolds before us as a bone of contention against Hartnett and Krueger. The Chicago/Montreal location work and the affluent side of the city (cities) gives the plot extra pizazz. Unconventional storytelling that toys with missed opportunities and serendipity gone awry. Although it is extremely difficult to make her unglamorous, Byrne is presented early on as less than desirable (she's rather drab, with unsophisticated eyeliner), but after some time it is quite clear there's a lovely woman underneath the humble looks.

Back in 2006 I worked in a video shop, and then I saw the poster for this movie. Don't know why, but something catched my eye (maybe the fact that Diana Krueger appeared in the movie). Since then, I wanted to watch it, and every time that almost succeeded in doing so ended in failure. That was until recently, and I must say, I'm glad I waited all these years to watch it.The movie has everything: a perfect cast (Diane Kruger, a goddess as always; Josh Harnett, pulling it up pretty well, this guy deserves much more attention!), very good and emotional music, fitting the scenes almost as if every song was made for the movie; the story, just awesome. Who hasn't been tangled in the webs of love, desiring, being unloved and all of that? The theme and how its handled keep me rooting for everyone during the film. I been in their place during the years: obsessing, loving, suffering, and all of that. The pace of the movie and its timing its perfect, although you will need patience before finding the answers to the movie questions. In the end, all will be solved and clarified in one way or another.As for the downsides, maybe the theme of coincidences and how we see them in the movie is a Little bit phony. Nevertless, they are easily forgiven for the sake of entertaining. Many here complaint about certain lack of realism about some aspects (the cellphones most obviously) but let's back out a Little bit: Its a movie! It doesn't have to follow the rules of strict realism.Would I recommend this movie? Absolutely. It has romance, thrilling and emotional moments, eye Candy (for guys and girls no less). But above all, a powerful message that, if you blink you will miss it: love is something very valuable. While a Little few can enjoy it, most of all the people will chase smoke most of the time.Everyone, please enjoy it. Also an apology for my atrocious English (it's not my mother tongue)