Wicker is a romantic fantasy film based on the short story The Wicker Husband set in the nebulous past about a solitary Fisherwoman(Olivia Colman) who commissions the local Basket Weaver(Peter Dinklage) to make her a husband. The Wicker Husband(Alexander Skarsgård) and the Fisherwoman fall in love and are the subject of derision and jealousy from the townspeople.
Colman, no surprise, is captivating. She brings emotion and vulnerability, and it has a comedic register she can work in(unlike last year's The Roses). She conveys and undeniable and relatable humanness. Skarsgård conversely is totally ethereal, otherworldly, but equally compelling and is similarly able to play with the humor with alacrity. They have great chemistry- romantically, comedically, and dramatically. By the end you're really rooting for them, probably one of the best pure romantic onscreen couples in recent memory. The supporting cast is wonderful, Dinklage of course is a stand out, and the other notable performer is Elizabeth Debicki who plays the mean girl heavy, providing needed contrast, tension and stakes but also a character(in opposition to Colman) that has real interiority. The entire cast just totally understand the tone and the intent, all giving deliciously layered performances to a purpose.
Visually the film is rich and evocative, it feels like a fairy tale but also never loses the reality of its place or people. The costuming is superb and whatever combination of cloths, prosthetics, and CG make up the Wicker Husband is stunningly effective. It just looks great, it has a scale and impact the belies its limited budget. But it's really the script and the themes its able to get across in such a simple and entertaining way that's the most impressive about it. It has something to say, about gender roles, marriage, inclusion and belonging, the whole gambit, and does so with such a gentle and undeniable preceision.
Thematically rich, tonally intricate, with two great lead performances whose romance will sweep you away.
Currently in theaters.
Don't Miss It.
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