Review of Wicker Park (2004) by Jayakrishnan R — 28 Oct 2015

Wicker Park isn't trying to be a perfect film on the level of plot. Yes there are many holes, and yes the entire scenario could be resolved with a simple phone call on the part of its characters. But thematically, the film invites contemplation into important aspects of life: perspective, memory, obsession, love, and illusion. The how and to extent which people perceive and remember the world is fascinating, because it is always different. The extent to which our lives are dictated by coincidence and luck is disconcerting when we like to believe control is our ally. Perspective and memory shape the film as well as the character's lives: perspectives ricochet off one another and land in disparate parts of the world, while memory manifests non-linearly and often only in fleeting images, all of which the film beautifully captures.

The ubiquity of cameras and transparent surfaces (and materials) invites skepticism into the idea of reality. Mediated through all of these elements, as well as fantasy, the film denies tangibility and permanence, and points to the impermanence and intangibility of life and love. Nothing is what it seems. Everything is a projection, like an image onto a screen, like a fantasy onto a person. For all of these reasons, I return to Wicker Park yearly. I absolutely love it. (and so would Baudrillard I think:).