"'Stay' Tuned"
by Scott Mantz

"Stay"
Ewan McGregor,
Ryan Gosling, Naomi Watts
Directed by Marc Forster

Reality bites!  Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor unravel a mystery in "Stay"

Unlike other movies currently crowding the marketplace these days, “Stay” is an intense, stylish psychological thriller that keeps you guessing until the very end.

But it’s not for everybody.  Those who are easily confused will most likely be turned off by its challenging, indulgent narrative structure, while those who crave a more surreal visual feast will find plenty to admire.  Either way, there’s no doubt that “Stay” represents a bold experiment for director Marc Forster, who gained a heap of critical praise with 2001’s “Monster’s Ball” and last year’s Best Picture nominee, “Finding Neverland.”

Ewan McGregor plays Sam Foster, a New York psychiatrist who tries to prevent a deeply disturbed young patient, Henry Letham (Ryan Gosling), from killing himself on the eve of his 21st birthday.  Sam is immediately drawn into Henry’s mysterious predicament, but the deeper he goes with his investigation, the more he loses his own grip on reality.  Sam races against time to save Henry’s life, but in doing so, the foundation of his own existence threatens to come crashing to the ground.

“Stay” features a terrific cast (including Naomi Watts, who plays McGregor’s former patient-turned-girlfriend), but the real focus here is on Forster’s unique direction and design.  Since Gosling plays an artist, Forster wisely gets into his head by framing several key scenes the way an abstract artist would think – with stylish angles, colors, symbols and images.  He also uses visual effects to blend scenes into one another, resulting in the disoriented dream (or nightmare) state that McGregor constantly finds himself in.

But by keeping moviegoers in the dark for most of the movie, Forster puts too much pressure on the payoff to seal the deal.  And if the payoff doesn’t work, neither does the movie.  In this case, the payoff works, but it’s hardly a stretch when compared to similar gimmicks found in mind-benders like 1990’s “Jacob’s Ladder” and last year’s “The Machinist.”  People may even be compelled to compare it to “The Sixth Sense,” but at least “The Sixth Sense” worked as a complete film even without the surprise ending, while these other films don’t.

Ultimately, the fun of “Stay” lies in guessing where it’s going, and to that extent, it delivers the goods.  Like I said, it may not be for everybody, but if you’re looking for an edgy, challenging, haunting cinematic experience, then this is one thriller that will stay with you for days.

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