I am not normally enthused by soppy love stories but Wicker Park certainly had me gasping for breath at the end, sitting at the edge of my seat urging Matthew (Josh Hartnett) and Lisa (Rose Byrne) to finally meet and stay together! The plot in Wicker Park is complex but it all boils down to one thing, two beautiful girls are interested in Matthew and he’s in love with one of them. The film is a succession of wild goose chases as Matthew, supposedly off on a trip to China, sees the love of his life pass by in a classy Chicago restaurant. He becomes obsessed with this Lisa and some of the most fantastic coincidences start occurring. In the meantime, Lisa turns into Alex, another stunner who ends up sleeping with Matthew as he loses all hope of ever finding his woman. The film’s camera work is excellent with the bitter cold of a Chicago winter superbly portrayed in the frosty scenery and ice covered cars as Matthew waits at Wicker Park for the girl that never comes. His friend Luke (Matthew Lillard), is a funny and tragi-comic character who serves to add the humorous touch to the occasionally rather downcast Matthew. An interesting feature I enjoyed was the split screen with telephone conversations in the background, almost making you pry into the hearts and minds of the characters. Although not a masterpiece, Wicker Park will leave you chewing to the end, but I won’t spoil your fun by telling you why!

Gerald Fenech