The Sun Never Sets

by Mike McGranaghan

Love triangles have long been the subject of cinematic romances. It isn’t often that you come across one as observant as The Sun Never Sets. Writer/director Joe Swanberg (Drinking Buddies) has conceived a multi-layered tale of romantic confusion that speaks volumes to how love can ironically make logic seem less logical.

Dakota Fanning has her best film role in years. She plays Wendy, a construction worker in Anchorage, Alaska. Her boyfriend is Jack (Jake Johnson), a divorcee with two kids. He has no interest in getting married again or having any more kids, which is why he recommends that they put things on pause for six months. This will give her time to date around and make sure she’s truly okay with never being a wife or a mom. Blindsided, a distraught Wendy tries to change Jack’s mind until she runs into ex-boyfriend Chuck (Saturday Night’s Cory Michael Smith) and finds the flame between them rekindled.

That’s just the start of the lovelorn chaos in The Sun Never Sets. As soon as Jack finds out about Chuck, he immediately changes his mind and wants Wendy to come back. But she realizes that he was right about her needing to be certain what she wants. There’s also the issue of whether Jack really is willing to get married and have more children or if he’s just saying that because he’s jealous. Wendy’s best friend Lindsay (Debby Ryan) is quick to remind her that things went south with Chuck in the past for a reason, so picking up with him again maybe isn’t a great idea. That gets Wendy wondering if she genuinely still has feelings for Chuck or if she’s merely acting out a revenge scenario against Jack for recommending time apart in the first place.

The miraculous thing about the movie is how cleverly it gets the characters to question their own emotions. As the situation becomes more entangled, everyone’s confusion grows, forcing them into painful – and sometimes painfully funny – introspection. Despite all the back-and-forth, the screenplay never comes off as contrived. Each new evolution of the triangle builds on the one before it, precisely depicting how overthinking causes all three main players to spiral deeper into self-doubt. Smartly, Swanberg isn’t asking the question, “Which man will Wendy end up with?” He’s asking, “What will these people learn about themselves?”

Fanning is absolutely spectacular in the lead role. After a strong start as a child star, she had some difficulty landing great films. Recent titles like The Watchers and Vicious haven’t matched her talents. Sister Elle, meanwhile, has become an A-lister, with an Oscar nomination for Sentimental Value and hit movies like Predator: Badlands. With The Sun Never Sets the elder Fanning declares why she’s one of the best actresses working today, period. She makes every step of Wendy’s journey authentic and identifiable, giving a career-best performance that merits serious awards consideration.

Johnson and Smith are excellent, too. The former is convincing playing Jack’s almost immediate remorse over his “take a break” idea. You feel bad for the guy, even as you think he’s a bit of a moron for proposing it in the first place. Smith gives Chuck a subtle competitive quality; he’s determined to make sure Wendy never goes back to Jack.

The Sun Never Sets is sharp and funny, with real insight into romantic complications. Powered by Dakota Fanning’s radiant turn, this is a dramedy to cherish.