This one is a full-on fairytale that is for adults only—a wicked journey of brilliance and comedy with layers of Shakespeare and small village moments. Wicker has earned a lot of buzz with its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, The Zurich Film Festival, and the BFI London Film Festival. Directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson, these two bring us into a world where loneliness leads to imagination that rises in a mind-blowing direction. The period is whimsical and medieval. A time of villagers and class with basic duties in a fairytale land is where Wicker is all about.
The film has that centers on the notion of a woman’s unhappy life. She wants to feel fulfilled by love and not want to feel ostracized by her community. She wants to feel like someone is holding her. The woman with all those feelings is the Fisherwoman and she is played by Olivia Colman. She goes to the local basket weaver for a wish. The basket weaver is played by Peter Dinklage. She tells him, “I WANT YOU TO MAKE ME A HUSBAND!” and he makes her wish come true. A man build out of straw is the result, and they are united in marriage. His character’s name is Wicker Husband, and he is played by Alexander Skarsgard. His presence and love provides fulfillment for the Fisherwoman’s life, however, their village community questions his presence.
The brilliance is in how quickly tensions rise. The success that the Wicker Husband brings to the life of The Fisherwoman is astounding. He is an able handyman, and he also provides that comfort that makes her happy. Many villagers find the situation appalling. The tension is written with jealousy all over it. The Tailor’s Wife, played by Elizabeth Debicki, is deeply curious. Her husband, the Tailor, is played by Nabhaan Rizwan. The practice of a Tailor does not feel fulfilling for the Tailor’s Wife, especially with seeing all the profound happiness coming from The Wicker Husband toward the Fisherwoman. The dynamics of class is a combatative theme throughout the film, as more people around the village begin to question the existence of the Wicker Husband.
Skarsgard delivers a performance of a laid-back and wondrous creature. Colman delivers a performance where her happiness is fulfilled but she struggles to accept how others feel about her scenario. The concept of accepting what the heart wants comes around in a fictional and timeless setting in Wicker. The film is sometimes hard to explain and hard to understand in moments. Though there here is always that fight for happiness. It never stops.
The film also delivers a riveting direction in segments, as it is split up into acts. Audiences have an idea of when moments may be happy, dull, or in chaos. That is primarily because of how the acts are given titles. Audiences feel like they are watching a play where humans and creatures are struggling to find common ground. It is carried around with much weight yet continues to be inviting. Three-and-a-half out of four stars for Wicker.
