Friday Film: Wicker Park
There are hundreds of named neighborhoods in the city of Chicago. (PDF map) Due to gentrification, immigration, and even personal opinion, their borders often aren't clear. Neighborhoods are rarely specifically-defined areas but rather are general areas. One of those neighborhoods was the namesake for a 2004 film, Wicker Park.
| Wicker Park (2004) | |
| Directed by: | Paul McGuigan |
| Produced by: | Andre Lamal Gary Lucchesi Tom Rosenberg Marcus Viscidi |
| Starring: | Josh Hartnett Rose Byrne Matthew Lillard Diane Kruger |
| Distributed by: | MGM |
| All Movie Guide IMDb Amazon.com  |
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This psychological thriller and romance follows businessman Matthew (Josh Hartnett) as he returns to Chicago two years after Lisa (Diane Kruger), a woman whom he was deeply in love with, vanished from his life without a trace. He has managed to get his life together, his career is going well, and he is considering proposing to his current girlfriend. All of that comes to an immediate halt though when he catches a brief glimpse of Lisa in a local bar. Unbeknownst to his current girlfriend, Matthew skips an important business trip in order to hunt down his lost love.
Matthew appears to have an unhealthy obsession with Lisa. Following a number of small clues, he chases after her to a hotel, a cemetery, and her apartment, just missing her every time. However, when he finally catches up with the elusive woman, it turns out to be a stranger (Rose Byrne) who is also coincidentally named 'Lisa'… and Matthew isn't the only one looking for an old flame.
While scenes of the movie were filmed in Montreal, there are several shots of Chicago, including The Drake, Daley Center, O'Hare, and Wicker Park (of course). I really enjoyed the film, despite how incredibly confusing it is. The movie is a collection of dreams, flashbacks, misunderstandings, missed connections, and incredible coincidences. I'll admit, I even had to check forums online in order to understand everything that I saw. But even if a few of the details are missed, the principle is there, leaving an emotional impact.
Tags: chicago, drama, Entertainment, films, movies, mystery, romance, thriller, wicker-parkRelated Stories
POSTED IN: Entertainment, Filmed in Chicago
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