I would really like to congratulate the people behind Wicker Park on the originality of their movie <_< . what really annoys me is that in an interview that Jonathan Ross (UK film pundit) had with Josh Hartnett, there was no mention of the fact that the film was identical to l'Appartement, a French film made in 1996 starring Vincent Cassel and Monica Bellucci.
Thing is, I really like the original movie, but Wicker Park will probably be turned into a typical Hollywood chick-flick which everyone will make millions out of.
The only difference are a few places and names: Paris=Chicago; Japan=China; Max=Matthew; Lucien=Luke; Alice=Alex
Below are the plot outlines from IMDb.com:
Wicker Park:
| QUOTE |
Matthew, a young investment banker in Chicago, puts his life and a business trip to China on hold when he thinks he sees Lisa, the love of his life whom walked out on him without a word two years earlier, walking out a restaurant one day. With a little help from his friend Luke, Matthew obsessively and relentlessly tracks Lisa down and while doing so, runs into another young woman, calling herself Lisa whom, unknown to Matthew, is an actress named Alex and may hold the key to Lisa's disappearance, and discovery. |
L'Appartement:
| QUOTE |
Max is on his way to Tokyo. He lives in Paris and likes to flirt but has decided to get married. By chance, he seems to have seen Lisa, his greatest love, in a cafe. Max forgets everything, his trip to Tokyo and his fiance. Obsessed with meeting Lisa he finds out where she lives and hides in the apartment. However, a different girl, called Alice, finds Max in the flat. Alice looks quite similar to Lisa, and they have sex. To complicate matters further, Alice is also the girlfriend of Max's buddy Lucien and Lisa is followed by an older man. |
