Wicker
In an isolated English village, a spinster fisherwoman longs for a husband – not necessarily because she feels unfulfilled, but because she seeks to halt the deceitful snickering she receives from the townsfolk. Played by Olivia Colman – an attractive actress who can play “frumpy” in her sleep – the fisherwoman approaches the local basket maker and asks him to weave her a husband. He accepts and she pays him. Right from the start, we know Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson’s film “Wicker” will possess an element of fantasy. Furthermore, the basket maker is a dwarf. He’s played by Peter Dinklage, who plays well in the fantasy realm.
The wicker husband
After the agreed-upon month’s time, the basket maker presents the fisherwoman with her new wicker husband. He’s played by Swedish American actor Alexander Skarsgard, who not only handles the fantasy dimension with ease, but doesn’t attempt a phony British accent. Unlike Dinklage, Skarsgard may not be adept at such an accent, and the fact that he doesn’t try is admirable, as well as immaterial to the proceedings. After all, “Wicker” is pure imagination. Heck, the time period is never even established – although it likely takes place far in the past. And none of the characters has a name; they are simply referred to by their professions. Or their unique identifying feature, such as the “wicker husband.”
Unlike Emily Stone’s character in “Poor Things,” wicker husband shows up with a full grasp of language, duty, and social customs. He knows his goal is to be a loyal and loving husband to the fisherwoman. Ironically, he never takes a job in town. He spends his days fixing up fisherwoman’s old and decaying bungalow on the outskirts of town. It seems every other day, he must repair their bed. You see, since his arrival wicker husband and fisherwoman have given the conjugal bed quite a workout. As a side note, Ficher and Wilson’s screenplay – adapted from Ursula Wills’ short story “The Wicker Husband” – never mentions the very possible pain aspect of making love with a wicker partner. And God bless them for that omission.
Jealous and longing
The real juice of “Wicker” begins after wicker husband has had time to settle into his place in the community. It seems his loyal devotion to his wife has made some of the other men jealous – and left the women longing for increased adoration from their spouses. In a way, wicker husband is a modern, 21st century man. It’s not that he’s overly touchy-feely – he isn’t – but he possesses the air of a man who has either been through therapy or is accomplished at providing it for those around him. That doesn’t play well in 19th century England. Or 18th. Or whenever this tale is set.
The townsfolk begin to spread rumors of marital infidelity involving wicker husband, which fisherwoman at first believes. After all, she’s away at work during the day; and she certainly didn’t know him prior to their matrimony. But could such a loving and committed husband be swayed by others longing for that which (apparently) only he can provide?
Akin to Caitlin Clark
Wicker husband’s tug on the established fabric of the community is akin to that currently surrounding Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. She is at once admired for her enormous basketball skill, while simultaneously despised by those jealous of her worldwide stardom – even though she has moved women’s basketball into the stratosphere of the world of sports. It’s a position Clark did not seek but must navigate. Same with wicker husband. And he struggles. It seems as though the capacity to process information any way other than literally is outside his playbook. In that sense, he shares commonality with defrocked businesswoman Elizabeth Holmes, the subject of the current documentary “You Can See Everything.”
A darker turn
“Wicker” takes a darker turn when the local tailor’s wife’s sister (a recent widow) asks the basket maker to weave her a baby. Played by Scottish actress Marli Siu, she had always desired motherhood, and now her husband is no longer living. A glaring question left unanswered by the screenplay is whether the baby will grow and mature or remain a baby forever. And the basket maker is no help; he claims he merely weaves whatever his clients want, and that their souls come from some other entity.
Interesting premise
It’s certainly an interesting premise for a major motion picture. The fact that humanoid weavings could come to life at all establishes “Wicker” as pure fantasy. But the unanswered questions almost beg for a more literal interpretation. Consequently, what are we to make of “Wicker?” On the one hand, it’s mildly entertaining. On the other, it’s light as a feather. Had it been released last spring – the most “dead” time of year for motion pictures – it might have developed an audience as a quirky British film. My fear is that it will simply be lost in the shuffle of the acclaimed Oscar bait the studios are releasing from now through the end of the year.
Best comparison
I believe “Wicker” can best be compared to the 2021 German film “I’m Your Man,” in which Dan Stevens played a robot man tasked with being a husband to a researcher played by Maren Eggert. That was a better film. And was released in February, when it could develop an audience comprised of those longing for an “adult” film during the annual post-Oscar lull.
Is it worth seeking out “Wicker?” Again, hard to say. On the one hand, I’m glad I saw it. It’s relatively short, and not particularly taxing. But I’m not likely to remember this one three years from now as I am “The Rivals of Amziah King” or “The Social Reckoning.”
Andy Ray‘s reviews also appear on https://townepost.com/tag/film-review/