24/Seven: Movies: Good looks are not everything.Byline: Joe Riley WICKERPARK (12A) PAUL McGuigan's American remake of the acclaimed 1996 French thriller L'Appartement is a shadow of its former self. The ambiguities, subtleties and enigmas of the original have been replaced by a narrative that spoon-feeds every twist and turn. In doing so, Wicker Park lessens the raw, emotional power of the performances by the ensemble cast An ensemble cast is a cast in which the principal performers are assigned roughly equal amounts of importance in a dramatic production. This kind of casting became more popular in television series because it allows for flexibility for writers to focus on different . After a two-year stint in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , advertising hot-shot Matthew (Josh Hartnett) returns to his native Chicago with his beautiful fiancee Rebecca (Jessica Pare), who is his boss's younger sister. Promotion seems inevitable and Matthew is preparing for an important business trip to China to conclude a lucrative deal. His life begins to unravel when he overhears a conversation in a bar and immediately recognises the voice as his old flame old flame Noun Informal, old-fashioned a person with whom one once had a romantic relationship Lisa (Diane Kruger Diane Kruger (born July 15, 1976) is a German actress and former fashion model. Biography Early life She was born Diane Heidkrueger in Algermissen, near Hildesheim, Germany, daughter of Maria-Theresa, a bank employee, and Hans-Heinrich Kruger, a computer ), the love of his life who broke his heart two years ago. Lisa disappears and Matt begins to secretly track her down in the hope of learning why she broke off their relationship. Aided by his good pal Luke (Matthew Lillard), Matthew tracks down Lisa to an apartment. He breaks in, only to discover that the resident is another girl (Rose Byrne), who takes quite a shine to the embarrassed intruder. Matthew convinces himself that the ghosts of the past have clouded his judgement and that he will never track down his Lisa. Little does he know the truth. The film looks extremely handsome and director McGuigan and director of photography Peter Sova conjure arresting imagery. Hartnett still lacks the acting range to carry the film, but this is his best performance for some time, while Byrne and Kruger are excellent as the women in Matthew's complicated love life. CAPTION(S): WHAT WENT WRONG: Diane Kruger and Josh Hartnett in Wicker Park |
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