Stay (2005/I)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Marc Forster

Writer (WGA):

David Benioff (written by)

Release Date:

21 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

You Can't Stay Between the Living and the Dead.

Plot:

This movie focuses on the attempts of a psychiatrist to prevent one of his patients from committing suicide while trying to maintain his own grip on reality.

Plot Keywords:

Psychiatrist | Suicide | Car Accident | New York City | Balloon

Cast

Ewan McGregor	...	Dr. Sam Foster
Ryan Gosling	...	Henry Letham
Kate Burton	...	Mrs. Letham
Naomi Watts	...	Lila Culpepper
Elizabeth Reaser	...	Athena
Bob Hoskins	...	Dr. Leon Patterson
Janeane Garofalo	...	Dr. Beth Levy
B.D. Wong	...	Dr. Ren
John Tormey	...	Custodian / Piano Mover #1
José Ramón Rosario	...	Cabbie / Piano Mover #2
Becky Ann Baker	...	Paramedic #1 / Butch Cook
Lisa Kron	...	Paramedic #2
Gregory Mitchell	...	Dance Instructor
John Dominici	...	Boy / Young Henry
Jessica Hecht	...	Boy's Mother

Also Known As:

El umbral (Argentina) (Mexico) [es]
Останься (Russia) [ru]
A Passagem (Brazil) [pt]
Gitme (Turkey: Turkish title) [tr]
Reste (Canada: French title) [fr]
Stay (Finland) [fi]
Stay (Greece) [el]
Stay - Nel labirinto della mente (Italy) [it]
Tránsito (Spain) [es]

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some disturbing images.

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M | Mexico:B15 | Czech Republic:15 | Netherlands:12 | Argentina:13 | Norway:15 | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG | Finland:K-15 | Hungary:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Canada:14+ (Ontario) | Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Spain:18 | Malaysia:U (DVD) | Brazil:14 | UK:15 (original rating) (cut) | UK:18 (video rating) (uncut) | USA:TV-MA (cable rating) | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Columbia University - Broadway & 116th Street, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

New Regency Pictures

Trivia:

Letham is an anagram of the word "Hamlet" which is referred to numerous times throughout the film.

Goofs:

Continuity: Because of the nature of the film, various suggested "continuity goofs" are in fact intentional.

Quotes:

Henry Letham: An elegant suicide is the ultimate work of art.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Writing the Music for 'Stay' (2006) (V)

Soundtrack:

Cold Water

Brilliant! Once again, another example of box office revenue meaning nothing

As stated in the subject, this film is pure brilliance! The story is not completely original, it draws small inspirations from such films as "Identity", "Fight Club", "12 Monkeys" and even a little "Sixth Sense". But don't let that deter you if you did not care for those films! "Stay" is pure, cinematic genius from beginning to end.

Marc Forster is probably one of the greatest up-and-coming directors of our time. What he's done with this film will make any cinephile drool with delight. There are so many innovative camera techniques that your eyes experience a sensory overload of pure genius. One of these trademarks is a technique where he transitions from one setting to another while still making you think you're in the previous scene for a few seconds. For example, in a scene where we see Ewen McGregor's character in a shop, the camera then switches views to the glass door of the shop, which we see another important character looking through it. The door opens and the character walks through, at which point we realize he was going through a subway door in a totally different scene. Forster uses this technique, as well as many other amazing tricks, throughout, and it's no less brilliant every time we see it them.

As I said, the plot will remind you of a few other movies, yet the actual twisted ending, and the avenue which Forster and the writers take us there, is so completely different and interesting that this film simply must be seen.

McGregor did a fantastic job as psychiatrist Sam Foster, and Gosling was unbelievably realistic and convincing as the mentally unstable patient. Of special note is Bob Hoskin's almost cameo role as Foster's friend Leon. His character is so sympathetic and believable that it almost made me cry.

As usual with such films as last years "The Jacket", this movie was marketed as some supernatural horror film, but it's by no means a horror film. In fact I went into this movie dreading all the jump scenes and disturbing, weirdness that would make me run from my car to my front door at night, but really this is a straight up thriller in the vein of "12 Monkeys" and "Sixth Sense" (minus the ghostly appearances and dead people).

If you consider yourself someone who is tired of Hollywood's big-budget, slam-bang drivel and want to actually have your brain scrambling with thoughts throughout an entire film, RUN, do not walk, and see this film.