'Stay': Trust the wonders of the imagination

If "Memento" ran backwards and Paul Giamatti's last movie went sideways, then director Marc Forster's "Stay" is delivered inside-out.

The story of a psychologist (Ewan McGregor) trying to unravel the twisted trauma of a suicidal young man (Ryan Gosling) and convince him that life is worth living, "Stay" is a mystery wrapped in a dreamy enigma. What happens is either the future or the past or both rolled into one. Or it's all about possibilities. Whichever way you choose to view it, "Stay" is a vibrant, visually seductive, mentally intoxicating film.

20th Century Fox 'Stay' B+ The verdict: It's a riddle wrapped in a dreamy enigma that will turn on some moviegoers and easily turn off others. Director: Marc Forster Starring: Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Reaser, Ryan Gosling, Bob Hoskins Run time: 98 minutes Release date: Oct. 21, 2005 Rating: R for language and some disturbing images. See showtimes On the web Official movie site View the trailer    Trailers require Quicktime Rate 'Stay'   Go see it   Make it a matinee   Wait to rent   Don't bother Voter Limit: Once per Hour View Poll Results

It will thrill some filmgoers and turn others off right away.

Forster has earned the right to make a complicated, "what the...?" kind of film. His "Monster's Ball" led Halle Berry to an Oscar and his "Finding Neverland" secured even more mainstream mania for Johnny Depp.

"Stay" won't have the same kind of impact for its stars — though Gosling is moody and interesting; Naomi Watts, who plays McGregor's girlfriend who earlier attempted suicide herself, is focused and sure; and McGregor certainly outclasses his own manic performance in the weakly delivered "The Island."

No, what "Stay" has to offer is attention for its director.

This is a film where the actors are puppets for the director's hocus-pocus. Forster meshes scenes with visual tricks meant to displace viewers. A skyscraper suddenly becomes a stylized chess piece. A manatee in a city aquarium suddenly swims past the exterior of McGregor and Watts' apartment, in one of the movie's signature, surreal transitions.

Backgrounds in scenes also become mysterious. There are ample sets of extras who are twins or triplets. Several extras often carry silver, metallic briefcases. What's in those and why do they have them?

Ultimately, like those carrying cases, everything is not completely explained. But like "Memento" or, really, any David Lynch phantasmagoria, there are enough facts, clues and good guesses to keep audiences not just intrigued, but thinking about "Stay" for days afterward.

During a visit to Atlanta last year, Forster said he made "Stay" because he was so intrigued by Warren Beatty's 1974 thriller "The Parallax View," an assassination conspiracy film heavy with atmosphere and paranoia.

It's the kind of movie, Forster said, that no one makes anymore.

He's right. There aren't many movies like "Stay" at the megaplex. And, unfortunately, when some do arrive — like Danish director Christoffer Boe's twisty, knockout film "Reconstruction" — they don't hang around long.

"Stay" can be confusing. But it's also more linear than it seems. It's a puzzle that tells you not to blatantly trust what you see. It just asks you to trust the wonders of the imagination — from whatever direction it comes.