Wicker Movie Review

Introduction

Few romantic comedies are quite like Wicker, which is a dark and raunchy fairy-tale. Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson have created a bizarre yet hilarious story about finding the perfect husband.

An isolated and shunned fisherwoman living in a conservative medieval fishing village asks a basket weaver to create her a husband out of wicker.

The man she creates is the complete opposite of the men in the village; he is polite, loyal, caring and does not care about social status.

Although this premise could easily have fallen flat and been just one gag, Wicker has much more to offer.

This film provides a very insightful story about loneliness, marriage, women being independent and our need to be loved.

While it can sometimes be a bit confusing with the mix of raunchy comedy and wholesome romance, it is an original story with some brilliant performances that will be hard to forget.

A Dark Folk Fable With a Wicked Sense of Humour

The film creates a unique tone with the setting of a very judgmental village that knows everything about everyone.

Fischer and Wilson create an air of tradition throughout. The fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) is an outcast within the village and constantly mocked as she does not conform to the standards set for women.

Therefore, asking her husband to be commissioned shows her rebellious nature.

The directors have used the dark folk fairytale aesthetic well. They have created a feeling of an ancient and remote village, however there is a very cheeky element to the comedy.

The villagers have many comedic moments with their sexual issues, petty arguments and righteousness. The arrival of the Wicker Husband causes the situation to get even worse.

Overall, the film is very funny when it allows the characters to be shown for who they really are. Whilst the villagers are quick to judge the fisherwoman, they begin to lose their confidence when presented with a handsome and attentive man that cannot do any wrong.

This causes the characters to act in increasingly silly ways and gives the film a strong satirical feel.

Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård Make an Unlikely Romance Work

The central figure of Wicker is Olivia Colman who delivers a brilliant portrayal of a lonely fisherwoman.

She perfectly portrays the roughness of her character and shows us someone who isn’t afraid to be brutally honest and sometimes crude.

However, Colman finds the sadness behind her character. Her character is seeking more than just a husband. She is seeking love and companionship and to be appreciated.

This could have easily turned into a caricature if played by a less talented actress but instead Colman makes us feel for her character. This adds some real emotion to the increasingly surreal love story.

Alexander Skarsgård has a very difficult task ahead of him. He is almost fully covered by intricate wooden clothing so must convey his personality and emotions without using his face.

However, he somehow manages to make his character feel very loving, gentle and believable. Using his eyes, body language and controlled movements he makes the Wicker Husband feel very innocent and devoted.

Perhaps the most impressive part of this film was the chemistry between both Colman and Skarsgård.

Although they don’t seem like an obvious couple they develop a very sweet relationship. The Wicker Husband is very kind and simple meaning that the fisherwoman can experience something she has never had from the people around her, unconditional acceptance.

Although many of their scenes are humorous, they have a sweet quality to them which becomes the emotional core of the film.

Peter Dinklage, Elizabeth Debicki and Richard E. Grant Bring the Village to Life

A strong supporting cast gives the eccentric environment a real sense of character. Peter Dinklage plays the mysterious basket weaver that created the Wicker Husband to perfection.

He makes the character very interesting with his eccentric yet commanding presence, giving you the impression he knows much more about the odd magic in this world than the villagers.

The most enjoyable aspects of the village characters come from Elizabeth Debicki and Richard E. Grant.

They both take advantage of the comedy that the film offers. They play people who become more and more corrupt as they try to maintain their moral high ground.

The interactions between them and the Wicker Husband are some of the funniest parts of the film. Their reactions start off with a sense of community but quickly turns into jealousy and lust.

The secondary characters give the village the feel of having a real community at its core. It feels like a place where everyone puts on a front and very few are actually content with their lives.

A Remarkable Practical Creation

One of the best aspects of Wicker was how they managed to make the main character incredibly real. To do this they worked with Wētā Workshop to create a very detailed prosthetic costume for Skarsgård.

This is simply incredible. The woven aspect of the costume really gives the character a sense of realism.

Seeing Skarsgård move whilst wearing the costume feels like he has been brought to life. Every little detail helps to create the illusion, such as seeing the wicker move around his shoulders.

The visual effects aren’t too prominent throughout the film, mostly just used to enhance the character. This creates some very subtle details which would have been hard to achieve practically.

The sunlight shining through his woven body is absolutely beautiful. Although this is just a small detail, it really adds to the realism and creates some of the most magical visuals in the film.

Wicker truly feels refreshing in today’s day and age where most fantasy films use heavy VFX. The physical elements creates a personality for the Wicker Husband. It would be hard to imagine the romance having as much of an impact if he had been fully CGI.

Beautiful Cinematography and a Storybook World

Shot in Budapest, Hungary, Wicker uses its location well, creating a believable medieval seaside town. Often it is visually stunning, offering sweeping nature shots and well set-up pictures to give you the impression that the film is taking place in a picture book.

The juxtaposition of the nature around the town and the village itself creates an enjoyable contrast. The nature feels like a wide open space that is colourful and exciting, whereas the community within the village are very tight and restrictive. This gives a subtle visual hint to the main themes within the story.

There are some interesting choices of camera angles used throughout the film. There are sweeping drone shots which give some scenes a dreamy aesthetic.

The film has a strong visual style and the paint like pictures help to give even the most ridiculous scenes a sense of realism.

A Surprisingly Sharp Satire About Marriage and Independence

Despite the silliness of the film, Wicker makes an important comment about women and marriage. Women in this village are very much defined by their relationships with men.

However, the fisherwomen has bought herself a husband by earning her own money. Due to this she is in complete control of her choice, and the Wicker Husband will be her equal.

This leads to the main satirical part of the film. As soon as he arrives it shows how weak the villagers marriages and societal norms really are.

Despite the women and men looking down on the fisherwoman when they first meet, they become very interested in her unusual husband.

He is very polite and caring which makes them jealous, showing how unhappy they actually are.

Overall there is a more general message in this film. The fisherwoman feels alone due to not being married, but she also feels unloved and invisible.

The Wicker Husband loves her unconditionally, and the film shows real emotion in the fact that love can be given in a way you would never expect.

The Tonal Shifts and Bawdy Humour Will Not Be for Everyone

The film takes a huge risk and definitely delivers on the raunchy side. This is not a light hearted fairy tale.

The adult humour, sexual innuendos and cheeky situations are a large part of what makes this comedy funny.

Particularly when the plot takes a very cheeky turn with a local baker trying to improve his marriage using the Wicker Husband.

This will be a hit with some as the film has a cheeky and playful sense of humour. It does however take a very different approach to the traditional fantasy love story.

Some may find the jokes become a little over the top and can sometimes distract from the more interesting concepts within the film.

The pacing can be inconsistent. Whilst it does take its time setting up the lonely fischerwoman and the situation in which she decided to commission a husband it does take a while to get to the main relationship that makes this premise so appealing. Some side plots seem to have a lot of potential but are either left hanging or rushed.

The film attempts to transition from a cheeky village comedy into something much more heartfelt.

This is a challenging move but overall works well. The final act really finds some heartfelt moments hidden within the raunchy and silly story.

Final Verdict

Wicker is an incredibly bizarre film that relies on the dedication of its cast and crew to really work. The plot is ludicrous, the comedy is often raunchy but thanks to Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, you end up caring about the main love story.

Colman is brilliant in her role and portrays such vulnerability despite her character having a tough shell. Skarsgård also has an impressive physical performance.

The realistic Wētā Workshop special effect made me love the Wicker Husband and brings the main fantasy element to life.

Combined with stunning cinematography, fun supporting characters and a surprisingly insightful look at traditional marriage, there is a lot to appreciate.

However, the beginning is a little slow to start. Some of the raunchier comedy may not be to everyone’s taste and the middle can sometimes feel unfocused with the supporting characters and sub plots. However, these elements do not take away from how charming the film is.

Overall, Wicker is a fairy-tale for adults. Whilst the plot contains many raunchy jokes and the Wicker itself, there is a heartfelt story about loneliness, acceptance and being able to decide what love means to you.

This bizarre, funny and beautiful film is an original piece of filmmaking that should be embraced.