The issue of infidelity is usually used as a set-up for revenge thrillers in movies, while in the real world most people try to control their murderous impulses and navigate their way to reconciliation or separation. "Who Loves The Sun" opens with the sudden return of a young drifter to the lakeside community where he had grown up, five years after he had suddenly disappeared. Will had exiled himself after catching his wife, Maggie, having sex with his childhood best friend, Daniel. Ignorant about the infidelity, Daniel's parents offer Will shelter for the night - and while he sleeps, they call up their son and Maggie, who soon arrive seeking explanations for the prolonged absence - and the trio promptly begin wrestling with their various unresolved issues.
Writer/director Matt Bissonnette initially seems to take the situation with appropriate gravity, but gradually dilutes his film's credibility by choosing the comedic option time and again as the narrative unfolds. The excellent Molly Parker balances her performance nicely between poignant regret over her past behavior, and anger at Will's extreme response to her betrayal. In contrast, Will and Daniel are too often required to act out their conflict for laughs. They scuffle ineffectually, play stupid jokes on one another, jump impulsively into the lake fully-clothed, and stare sulkily into the distance until both of them look like petulant juveniles. By the time the story's big twist is revealed near the end, most viewers will feel as if they have been watching a light comedy rather than a drama - and it seems like a wasted opportunity for a nice idea and the luminist cinematography.
Writer/director Matt Bissonnette initially seems to take the situation with appropriate gravity, but gradually dilutes his film's credibility by choosing the comedic option time and again as the narrative unfolds. The excellent Molly Parker balances her performance nicely between poignant regret over her past behavior, and anger at Will's extreme response to her betrayal. In contrast, Will and Daniel are too often required to act out their conflict for laughs. They scuffle ineffectually, play stupid jokes on one another, jump impulsively into the lake fully-clothed, and stare sulkily into the distance until both of them look like petulant juveniles. By the time the story's big twist is revealed near the end, most viewers will feel as if they have been watching a light comedy rather than a drama - and it seems like a wasted opportunity for a nice idea and the luminist cinematography.