Go for the Thrill, Stay for the Images

If you guessed the twist of The Village in the first three minutes, you may have a slightly harder time with Stay, a psychological thriller starring Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts and Ryan Gosling. Part M. Night Shyamalan thriller and part Memento (visually, at least), Stay is heavier on the psych than thrills, but the likable (and very attractive) cast and captivating visuals make for a stimulating hour-and-a-half at the cinema. While cynical theater goers may find its twist ending lacking in punch, indie connoisseurs will appreciate the film's artistic edge.


Directed by Marc Forster, previously known for directing the Halle Berry Oscar vehicle Monster's Ball and last year's family favorite Finding Neverland, Stay is a visual representation of the mind wandering - the point of view shifts back and forth between McGregor's Sam Foster and Gosling's Henry Lethem with such violent speed, you can't be sure whose story you're watching. Is it Foster's - the caring psychologist who is trying to help a suicidal patient, or is it Lethem's - the college student who isn't sure what's real anymore, and goes to Foster for help?


The plot careens back and forward via quick dissolves, shaky jump shots and closely-edited match shots, where Lethem turns into Foster, and vice versa. Stay is like a waking dream, a stream of consciousness that never quite makes sense. It's like being stuck inside an M.C. Escher painting, a visual cue Forster uses in several stairwell scenes throughout the film.


While Stay is layered with clues as to what is going on, some are misleading, while others ultimately serve no point, whatsoever. Narrative strings make no sense after the reveal of the twist, such as Foster's girlfriend, Lila (played by Naomi Watts), having survived a suicide attempt. Other visual and aural clues, while very cleverly and subtly done, may leave those who love guessing at the cinema guessing wrong.

Ewan McGregor plays the American gumshoe psychiatrist with an adorable eagerness, but can't quite manage the task of playing leading man.

Credit: Regency Entertainment

Copyright: Regency Entertainment