Review: ‘Three Night Stand’ a messy tale of relationships gone awry

In spite of the improbable premise of a couple checking into a bed-and-breakfast coincidentally run by the boyfriend’s ex, “Three Night Stand” gives us the kind of unromanticized romance that you rarely find in an escapist rom-com.

On this lovey-dovey getaway to the Québécois countryside, Carl (Sam Huntington) plans to surprise Sue (Meaghan Rath) with the wedding band that she didn’t get when they married. Some impromptu roadside hanky-panky reveals their mechanical sex life, with her reciting his fantasies aloud for his stimulation.

Much to Carl’s surprise, his the-one-that-got-away, Robyn (Emmanuelle Chriqui), has quit her job in Vancouver and now owns and operates the Auberge au Coeur Sauvage (translation: Wild Heart Inn). Apparently this used to be Robyn and Carl’s secret rendezvous.

Writer-director Pat Kiely seems to be going for the air of classic French screwball comedy with actor Anatolii Winters (Aliocha Schneider) and his Oedipal mother, Lise (Anne-Marie Cadieux), also staying at the bed-and-breakfast and the unwelcome arrival of Carl’s best friend, Stacey (Reagan Pasternak), and her beau, Doug (Jonathan Cherry).

The messy relationships and sexual predilections make for an equally messy plot, which distracts from the film’s strength — depicting the truths of a romantic relationship that’s past the initial excitement and the selective memories of love lost.

“Three Night Stand.”

No MPAA rating.

Running time: 1 hour, 32 minutes.

Playing: Los Feliz 3, Los Angeles. Also on VOD.