Stay

Stay is, in my opinion, Forster's best film to date since Stranger Than Fiction. While it's a pretty dense "psycho" in the end, it doesn't have much in common with Lynch, or rather I would say nothing at all. The directorial inventiveness is decent in Forster's work, but compared to, say, Aronofsky's brilliant Requiem for a Dream, it falls quite a bit short in this regard. :) Still, I’m giving about 90% for the quality of the form and for the rather good script. The cast is also very likable. (01/05/2010)

Forster plays Lynch and with a gradually escalating plot, interesting visuals (occasionally delicious cuts between locations) and hand in hand with the growing confusion in the viewer's head, he moves towards the climax, the big reveal that clarifies nothing at all and forces many interpretations, namely: a) the twist is so trivial it hurts, b) it's so sophisticated that nobody gets it, c) Forster is just taking the piss. For me it's a), and while Lynch’s movies are exciting in their bizarreness even after repeated viewings, Stay is a one-shot mess. And by the way, Gosling was excellent, Mc Gregor did his standard and Watts is just there for decoration. (03/30/2006)

One of those “is this reality or is it a dream?” games the relies mainly on how smart the screenwriter is and on the talent and feeling of the director, because it can very easily become a dud that doesn’t make any sense. Fortunately, this one turned out well. I will study Forster and will keep an eye on him for the future. (07/26/2010)

I have seen a number of mystery movies lately that I simply couldn't tolerate. Stay is surprisingly not only functional but I would even say excellent. It has excellent coordination of music, camera, film effects, and acting performances, and has atmosphere and a meaningful well-constructed screenplay. In terms of the genre, only some early Lynch films have had such an impact on me, but compared to them, Forster's drama has a more rational point. It's the kind of film that is worth seeing not only twice, but it's even possible to enjoy many scenes from the film better with knowledge of what is going to happen, and it's possible to watch it many times over. The casting of top-notch and well-known actors paid off, and this is simply a genre delight where only two scenes bother me because reveal more than is necessary. Overall impression: 95%. (04/13/2011)

A picture that immediately captures you with its great visuals and then with its powerful story. It gradually turns into a good example of a Lynch-style movie where you have no idea where you stand, who is who, etc. The excellent cast just goes to enhance the overall impression. But unlike movies by David Lynch, Stay has a clear message... And that it where its downfall lies. The message luckily isn’t served up absolutely word for word, but it doesn’t leave much room for the viewer to make up his own mind. I can shake the feeling that, if it weren’t for the final scene, this movie could have been a beautiful experience overflowing with “dreamy" magic, despite being incomprehensible. This way it remains just a showcase for Forster and, in a way, a trick on the viewer, because the cheapest explanation is always correct. In the end, this is just an over-combined variation on Jacob’s Ladder. (04/09/2006)