Passion Never Dies

Last night, my brother’s girlfriend, my friend, and I watched the movie Wicker Park, which stars Josh Hartnett, Rose Byrne (Troy), Matthew Lillard (Summer Catch), and Diane Kruger (Troy). My first impression was that the characters were very creepy. The chronology of the movie was very inconsistent. They used flashbacks constantly and the transition from past to present was shaky and left us in confusion for the first half of the movie. The filming was personal, exploring the characters of mainly Josh Hartnett and Rose Byrne. I really enjoyed the technique and style of the director; however the flashbacks were really difficult to follow. I know it added to the overall feel of the movie, but I think it could have done with less.

The movie opens with Josh Hartnett, a successful businessman going on an important trip to China for a business deal. He is also planning to be engaged to his business partner’s sister. However, there is one problem: he spots his past lover, who mysteriously disappeared two years before. He tells his current girlfriend he is going to China, but stays in LA on a quest for his previous girlfriend (Lisa). He goes to extreme and sometimes borderline-stalker heights, to find Lisa. However, when he finds what he thinks is her apartment, there is a different Lisa- with ironically the same shoes, coat, and name as his old girlfriend. This is where it gets really confusing. “Lisa” develops an obsessive relationship with Josh Hartnett’s character and with his best friend, Luke, in which she calls herself Alex. The plot thickens and you find out what the cause of the real Lisa’s disappearance, and people’s weakest motives and actions are revealed.

I enjoyed the movie because it required my attention, compelled me to keep watching, and created a good amount of suspense. Oh and of course—the end is a beautiful scene with an amazing scene—but you’ll have to watch it for yourself.

I’ll see my favorite film class Tuesday!


-Candice