A head-scratching thriller...
Stay (2005)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:117
Fresh:32
Rotten:85
Average Rating:4.6/10
Consensus: A muddled brain-teaser, Stay has a solid cast and innovative visuals but little beneath the surface.
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
Genre: Thriller, Theatrical Release
Synopsis: In the space between desire and fear, between reality and illusion, between life and death lies a whole other alternate world that is brought to life in the mind-bending thriller STAY. From the... In the space between desire and fear, between reality and illusion, between life and death lies a whole other alternate world that is brought to life in the mind-bending thriller STAY. From the acclaimed director of the award-winning Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland, Marc Forster, comes this moving and mesmerizing double story that plunges beneath the surface of ordinary experience to take a man on a spiraling descent through the mysteries of identity, dreams and the very fabric of existence. STAY appears at face value to be the suspenseful story of dedicated New York psychiatrist Sam Foster (EWAN McGREGOR) and his urgent attempt to stop a secretive and unusual young patient he inherited, Henry Lethem (RYAN GOSLING), from carrying out a planned suicide on the eve of his 21st birthday. But behind the primary tale of STAY lies a far more unsettling and surreal mystery: that of the reality-shattering effect that investigating Henry starts to have on Sam. As Sam is drawn deeper into the web of Henry's life -- and then into the labyrinth of his subconscious -- at first it simply puts stress on Sam's relationship with his artist girlfriend and former patient Lila (NAOMI WATTS). But soon Sam's own tightly-held grip on the rational world begins to melt away. Faced with increasingly surreal encounters and a Manhattan transformed into a wildly shifting dreamscape, Sam can no longer figure out what is true and what is happening only in his head, nor where he begins and Henry ends. So just who is Henry Lethem and why is he fracturing Sam's reality so profoundly? As clues and suspense simultaneously build to the story's climax on the Brooklyn Bridge, both Sam -- and the audience must grapple with thought-provoking questions about perception, awareness, forgiveness and final moments of redemption. For it soon becomes clear that what is happening to Sam and Henry is taking place not in this world but in the twilight state between living and dying . . . a place where no one can stay for long. [More]
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling, Kate Burton
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling, Kate Burton, Bob Hoskins, Elizabeth Reaser, Janeane Garofalo, B.D. Wong
Director: Marc Forster
Director: Marc Forster
Producer: Bill Carraro, Guymon Casady, Arnon Milchan, Tom Lassally, Eric Kopeloff
Composer: Asche & Spencer
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Reviews for Stay
A disaster from beginning to end. If you're going to Stay anywhere, Stay at home.
So often, I have seen films like this that try to walk the fine line between creativity and confusion. Director Marc Forster manages to walk that line with precision.
Stay is worth seeing for its powerful performances, excellent direction, and beautiful visuals.
The viewer's confidence and attention are not only undermined, but completely disregarded. You get the same feeling as Charlie Brown when Lucy pulls the football away.
The visual effects, especially those used to enhance the metaphysical elements, are impressive, but the story lacks that certain something.
It is neither deep nor mind-blowing. But we shouldn't deny the very concrete delectations it offers.
It's a puzzle that tells you not to blatantly trust what you see. It just asks you to trust the wonders of the imagination -- from whatever direction it comes.
Forster should be commended for attempting something as daunting as the overreaching Stay.
The intent is to rivet the viewer's attention, but the movie is so relentless in imposing its deliberately dazzling technique that audiences are liable to be annoyed instead.
Forster keeps us from drifting off with inventive camerawork; in this case, that's like saying a hideous suit has well-stitched lapels.
When the movie is over, and we know all that is to be known, it deserves some thought.
Latest News for Stay
June 28, 2007:
Ryan Gosling Signs On to Peter Jackson's "Lovely Bones"
The 27-year-old actor will be playing the husband to 36-year-old Rachel Weisz. They'll be playing the parents of a (dead) 14-year-old girl in the Peter Jackson pic. More...
June 20, 2007:
The Next "Bond" Director Has Been Chosen
And it's certainly nobody you'd expect! More...
April 17, 2006:
Casino Royale Enlists a "Vice" Villain
IGN FilmForce notes a 007-related Variety report, and it's news of the casting ... variety: Up & coming actor Isaach de Bankole, seen recently in flicks like Stay and The... More...
March 28, 2006:
DVD Tuesday: Planet of the Ape
Movie geeks love Tuesdays, and here's why: It's DVD Day! With each new Tuesday comes the promise of varying DVD goodness, so I thought it might be fun to do a reminder-piece... More...
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