Wicker review: Hilarious, raunchy & romantic romp
Sometimes a high-concept film comes along with such a terrific but silly premise that I feel giddy with excitement watching something so imaginative and fun. That’s exactly how I felt with Wicker.
This romance fantasy comedy stars Olivia Colman as an ostracised fisherwoman who is ridiculed in her village for her stench and spinster status. One day, she asks the local basket weaver (Peter Dinklage) to make her a wicker husband (Alexander Skarsgård). The new devoted husband sparks unrest in the village, as the wives wish their spouses were more like the Wicker Husband.
Wicker’s biggest strength is its script. Based on Ursula Wills‘ short fable The Wicker Husband, married writer-directors Alex Hudson Fischer and Eleanor Wilson have crafted a screenplay that is genuinely hilarious, packed full of memorable one-liners, raunchy gags and innuendos. I laughed out loud constantly; it really spoke to my sense of humour. But it’s not just funny; it’s also sweet, heartwarming and romantic, and there are some shocking moments of conflict between the couple and the villagers.
The film’s next biggest strength is the leads. Colman and Skarsgard are always brilliant individually, so together, they make a dream team. They are perfect for their respective characters. Colman’s Fisherwoman is funny and crude on the surface, but she is actually just lonely and using that persona to protect herself. Her whole life turns upside down with the arrival of her Wicker Husband. She experiences romantic love for the first time, and with it, the vulnerability, doubt and jealousy. He insists he only has eyes for her, but she can’t believe it. It’s very relatable, even with the fantastical circumstances.
Skarsgard manages to make his character’s personality shine through this heavy, fully-covered wicker bodysuit and facial prosthetic. It’s remarkable. He doesn’t say much but he really makes his words count. I have to commend Skarsgard for taking on such a silly role and not making him a joke. Elizabeth Debicki is also good value as Tailor’s Wife (I love that nobody has actual names), a meddler who doesn’t like Fisherwoman being happy, while I half expected Dinklage to break into song as he made his wicker creations. Among the lesser-known villagers, Ben Ashenden and Ella Bruccoleri are good fun as Baker and Baker’s Wife.
Wicker is as funny and saucy as the marketing suggests, but it’s also more emotional and has more heart than I expected. A good time!
In cinemas from Friday 30th October