Who Loves the Sun

I caught this movie on the Sundance Channel on cable one late afternoon. You might say "Who Loves the Sun" is a perfect leisurely pastime of a story, why ever not. You get to hang out with the trio: Lukas Haas is Will (returning after abruptly leaving everyone years ago), Molly Parker is Maggie (we learn she's very much part of the family Bloom), and Adam Scott is Daniel (is he friend or foe or fiancé), by the scenic Falcon Lake, Manitoba, Canada, captured in graphic compositions juxtaposed in vivid summer colors against sunshine and shadows. And supporting the trio are two more family members in the revealing mix: Wendy Crewson is Mom Mary Bloom, and R.H. Thomson is Dad Arthur Bloom. Writer-director Matt Bissonnette has delivered an ingenious unfolding of story-line and its various tentacle links - worry not, Haas may have a 'listless' face, but humor will come as Parker and Scott enter the circle of friends reunited, wry smiles will break and knowing delights stir. Dialogs may be terse or even nil, yet we'd get the flavor of what's cooking, bemused or wondering.

Yes, "Who Loves the Sun" can very well be categorized as a sleeper gem. The chemistry between all five principals sure gels and 'combusts', giving an energetic ensemble performance. After all, it's all in the family, and the film sure doesn't take itself too seriously.

Looks like the official site is still available at "wholovesthesun.com" and there are information on the soundtrack by Mac McCaughan (Portastatic with guitar tunes and strings) where score excerpts are being played, and behind the scenes production notes, interview with writer-director-producer Bissonnette on how the movie and concept came about, the casting and more. Have always appreciate Molly Parker since her spare yet mesmerizing performance in 1996 Lynne Stopkewich's 'Kissed', and she's married to Bissonnette, who "wrote the Maggie part for Molly."

31 year old Will Morrison (Lukas Haas) unexpectedly shows up at Arthur (R.H. Thomson) and Mary Bloom (Wendy Crewson)'s home. He tells them that he has written a book soon to be published. Will was once Daniel Bloom (Adam Scott)'s best friend. Daniel is a successful writer. Daniel is bitter while Will is evasive. They are both angry with Daniel having had an affair with Will's wife Maggie Claire (Molly Parker). All three were once the best of friends until Will disappeared 5 years ago.

This indie really needs laughs. It's somewhat quirky but nowhere near funny. All three are perfectly fine actors. I like this group of actors. The script has no good jokes. The relationship struggle is prolong. Secrets are revealed. However the movie needs real excitement. The directions are too static. This could have also been big drama but it's not that either. It exists in a lackluster inbetween world.

Lukas Haas, who will forever be to me the terrific child actor in "Witness," seems miscast in this film. His movements and his delivery of his lines make him appear to be sleep walking through the movie. Maybe he is supposed to play the role as a slacker. But then there's the manuscript he supposedly wrote, which is, of course, supposed to be very good (according to his ex-wife). The script seems rather unbelievable with two friends eventually finding out a secret that makes even less sense and to me is unimportant to make the movie work. I did very much like Molly Parker, although she is a bit too old to be Haas' ex-wife in this movie. She exudes sensual energy. This film works hard at being an independent film, but the dialog is too choppy and the film plods on and on way to slowly. A much better film is the classic Roman Polanski's "Knife in the Water."

I didn't know anything about this movie going into it so I was pleasantly surprised after watching it. Prior to seeing it I had been watching some rather disappointing independent films, so I was very glad that I saw this entertaining picture.

Will returns to meet his friends Daniel and Maggie after a five year departure. Staying at the lakeside home of Daniel's parents, the group intervene, recalling their past and trying to fix their troubles together.

Starring Lukas Haas and Adam Scott, two actors I grew up watching on TV and on film, I was glad to see the two on screen together. And Molly Parker, R H Thomson, and Wendy Crewson complete the wonderful ensemble. With so many great interactions between the characters, the film is filled with excellent dialogue both dramatic and comedic. For a great character driven film, Who Loves the Sun is a perfect selection.

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.