Director: Pat Kiely
Writer: Pat Kiely
Actors: Sam Huntington, Meaghan Rath, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Reagan Pasternak, Jonathan Cherry
Rating: 14A
Runtime: 86 min
It is possible to freshen up an old idea with a new setting and aesthetic, a fact that first-time solo director Pat Kiely proves with his new dramedy film Three Night Stand (2014). Although the premise of the movie may not initially excite, the film itself places its complicated love triangle in a vacation ski lodge in Canada as opposed to a sunny beach in the Bahamas, thereby changing the rules of the game. The film also benefits from warm and amusing characters and a smart script that refuses to stoop to low brow or silly humour, and the result is a surprisingly refreshing take on a genre we have seen many times before.
Cute young couple Carl (Sam Huntington) and Sue (Meaghan Rath) are excited to get away from it all and spend a romantic vacation at a remote ski lodge in the Appalachian Mountains. To their horror, however, the two discover that the bed and breakfast is actually run by Carl’s beautiful ex-girlfriend Robyn (Emmanuelle Chriqui), whom Carl never quite got over and who just might have orchestrated the entire encounter. When Carl’s best friend, her husband, a famous young actor, and his attractive mother also show up at the lodge, the interactions quickly become tangled and messy, and Sue and Carl’s marriage is placed in jeopardy.
From the opening scene, Carl and Sue share a relaxed and comfortable chemistry, and it is easy to hope for the best to come to these nice and likeable individuals. It is also apparent that all is not well with their marriage, so an audience is alerted that the film will contain undertones that are ultimately more serious than funny. Humour is present, however, in the form of a fun and quirky supporting cast that includes Reagan Pasternak as Carl’s loveable yet overprotective best friend Stacey and Jonathan Cherry as her one-liner spouting husband Doug. The laughs they provide offer well-placed respite from the sharp edges of the love-triangle, and remain in good taste throughout.
Filmed in the beautiful Laurentian regions of Quebec, Canada, this film features a striking winter aesthetic far removed from the beaches where such stories generally take place. This film has a distinctly Canadian feel to it, featuring a ski lodge and a sugar shack as its primary settings; even the famous actor who shows up is a well-known Quebecois actor as opposed to one from Hollywood. In addition to the setting, the director and principle cast members are all Canadian as well, and it is exciting to see such a well-made film coming out of our country and maintaining a conspicuously Canadian tone throughout.
Three Night Stand is a refreshing take on the love-triangle comedy genre in that it doesn’t go for the cheap or easy laughs. This film actually wants its audience members to think about the issues and questions that it presents, and the resulting movie isn’t hilarious but is definitely thought provoking. Avoiding crude humour and ridiculously over-the-top scenarios, the film may not have a biting edge but it does have warm characters and some deeper ideas. When all is said and done, a strong ending elevates this film from flippancy, and the result is quite a good Canadian-made movie.
The Breakdown
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7/10
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7/10