Stay
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
Cast: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Ryan Gosling, Janeane Garofalo, Bob Hoskins
Extras: Audio Commentaries, Featurette
Rating:
Imaginatively filmed and wildly original, "Stay" is a supernatural thriller that almost becomes more of an experience, rather than a typical film. I don't think that many will predict the outcome of this one, or even remotely envision the complex twist coming. During the presentation, I could just feel that something wasn't quite right, something very intriguing was going on and all I could do was sit back and enjoy this totally different film. One that is sure to leave its audiences thinking about the story long after the credits have rolled.
Sam Foster (Ewan McGregor) has the daunting task of filling in for a fellow psychologist while she is away on leave. One of the first patients that he comes into contact with is Henry Letham (Ryan Gosling), a mysteriously unusual individual that informs Sam of his plan to commit suicide on his 21st birthday, only a few days away. Trying to sort out the horrifying visions and disturbing voices that he is experiencing, Henry eventually entrusts Sam to help him sort out the strangeness that is infecting his life. Becoming wrapped up in the bizarre circumstances encompassing Henry's world leads Sam, with the help of his girlfriend Lila (Naomi Watts) to sort out the mystery. Often possessing a dreamlike quality, "Stay" is a film that won't afford you the opportunity to draw a distinctive line between imagination and actual reality, pulling you into the center of this well crafted and affecting story.
"Stay" arrives on DVD in a beautifully rendered transfer, courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment. The presentation showcases good color saturation and a deep rich black level that combines to capture the entire illusive and sometimes nightmarish mood of the film. Showing no visible signs of compression elements or dust particles, this exhibition is destined to please the critical eye.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix does a splendid job of highlighting the great atmosphere that "Stay" presents its viewers with. Fully utilizing all available channels with introduction from the lower frequency channel providing just the right amount of heaviness at the most appropriate moments, the soundtrack pairs nicely with the hallucinatory visuals displayed throughout the film.
There is the option of two separate audio commentaries for this DVD of "Stay". The first commentary features director Marc Forster and actor Ryan Gosling. The second commentary again features the director, only this time he is joined by editor Matt Chesse, second unit director Kevin Tod Haug and director of photography Roberto Schaefer.
The inclusion of a short featurette titled "Departing Visions", which provides a peek into a Los Angeles based discussion group that focuses on near death experiences, rounds out the special features section.
"Stay" can easily class itself as one of those rarer finds on the shelf at your local neighborhood video store. I honestly never even heard of the film until I was given the opportunity to review the DVD. Along with its intoxicatingly original presentation, "Stay" offers some of the coolest editing that I have seen in a long time. For something completely refreshing, I can easily recommend checking out "Stay" on DVD.
