Stay

Directed by Marc Foster

Twentieth Century Fox

**



Anyone up for a wannabe “artsy” film on crack? If so, check out director Marc Foster’s (“Finding Neverland”) mentally twisting movie “Stay.”

“Stay,” starring the oh-so-lovable Ewan McGregor, traces psychologist Dr. Sam Foster’s (McGregor) journey through discovering the truth about his disturbingly troubled and clairvoyant patient, Henry Letham (Ryan Gosling). The narrative leapfrogs back and forth in time without explanation, which is highly confusing; after awhile, the audience will give up trying to follow the unduly intricate storyline and instead stare fixedly at the bright yellow, high-water slacks that McGregor wears in the last third of the film.

Marc Foster’s otherwise gleaming resume, which includes “Finding Neverland” and “Monster’s Ball,” is sorely blemished by this enigmatically frayed thriller. Unlike “Finding Neverland,” “Stay” lacks a coherent storyline with relatable characters, failing to conjure the same substantial emotion.

McGregor’s performance is, as usual, solid. His portrayal of the confused and increasingly terrified Dr. Foster is more than believable. In spite of this, the film’s writer, David Benioff (“25th Hour”), leaves little room for McGregor to delve into his character’s idiosyncrasies.

Perhaps the film’s most underused resource is Naomi Watts. Watts plays Lila, Dr. Foster’s once suicidal painter-girlfriend. However, her character adds so little to the storyline, one wonders if her only purpose is to serve as eye candy for the testosterone-charged twenty-something viewer. Her subplot—Dr. Foster discovers that Lila is no longer taking her Klonopin pills because she claims she can’t truly paint when she’s on the medication—unfortunately, fizzles out with pedantic apologetic dialogue, like “We have to trust each other.” Who knows why Watts, one of the hottest actresses working today, took such a menial, if not blatantly unnecessary role, in this marginally exciting film.

In contrast, Gosling expertly molds Henry Letham into a neurotic, heart-broken painter. Gosling—a favorite of teenage girls and desperate housewives since his heart-warming and passionate turn in “The Notebook”—proves he’s more than just another pretty young-Hollywood face. In fact, Gosling so deeply retreats into the depressed, otherworldly character of Henry Letham, memories of his days on “The Mickey Mouse Club” are completely obliterated and the muscles he flexed as a teenage killer in “Murder by Numbers” are reinforced.

The only other redeeming quality of “Stay” is the imaginative, if not purely genius, camerawork. Director of Photography Roberto Schaefer, who also paired with Foster in “Neverland” and “Monster’s Ball,” outdoes himself by using creative camera angles and surprising scene transitions to keep audience members at the edge of their seats. The opening scene is an especially breathtaking, in-depth visual of a car tire exploding and the metal wheel plate skidding along the ground as sparks fly. The scene catches the audience, immediately mesmerizing them and drawing them into the movie.

Unfortunately, even Schaefer’s master camerawork cannot sustain the audience to the end of “Stay,” which is not really an ending at all, but instead a romanticized and flavorless cliffhanger. Overall, “Stay” misses the boat by throwing together a storyline that attempts to combine “The Sixth Sense” and “Memento,” but falls far short of both.