Stay

There are just so many possibilities in film for stories about the psyche, and Stay utilises the medium to great effect to tell the dying moments of a boy's life on the Brooklyn Bridge.

I thought it was great. Ewan McGregor, Ryan Gosling, Bob Hoskins and Naomi Watts were all superb, and I didn't realise the ending until the end, so it was a pleasant reveal. I loved the dream-like way it was composed, with the surreal editing and smooth soundtrack. I've only seen Gosling in three movies, and in each one he dies. But in each one he's memorable, and I think he's making the transition from supporting actor to movie star very well.

But this movie is not a brain workout. It's very easy to understand. The last few moments of Henry's life, with all of these people surrounding him, the location, and the events leading to his near-death, are picked up, reimagined, and then placed into a stretched timeline, and that timeline is the first 80 minutes of the movie. For example, when McGregor's character goes to visit his mother at the house, that would be when he goes to the car to check if his parents are alive. All of the events at the crash scene happen in Henry's reimagining too and in the same order. But the way it's filmed leaves a reveal at the end, and it's well worth it.

Much better than Forster's other movies, Monster's Ball, Quantim of Solace and Stranger Than Fiction, and probably just slightly better than Machine Gun Preacher. I haven't had the pleasure of watching Finding Neverland yet, but it's on my list. For a director that I haven't heard much about, he's made some well known movies. I am looking forward to World War Z.

B+

I need to revisit this one, but it's pretty underrated. I believe I gave it a strong B/B+. Really good film.