Stay (2005)

Not a good film, but not one to be ignored, either -- David Benioff's screenplay has moments of genuine, discomfiting disorientation that are enhanced by Marc Forster's bizarre directorial choices. (This simply can't be the same guy who directed Monster's Ball and Finding Neverland. It can't.) The main thrust of the plot becomes pretty obvious early on, but the filmmakers keep plugging away at keeping the audience off-balance and suceed in that goal more often then not. There's even an element of poignancy in the hallucinations-of-a-fading-mind ending (it's the procession of a life through a haze of guilt, confusion and panic). Forster, oft-times, seems to indulge style just to show off, which does get annoying, and the film really isn't as deep or meaningful as it supposes itself to be; still, there's something undeniably fascinating about its failure. It's like this odd, avant-garde object that slipped through the bowels of the Hollywood machine fully intact, for better and worse. It's probably trying too hard to be tricky, but I'd rather see a movie try its mightiest and fail anyway than not try at all.

Grade: C+