The 2-films-in-1 phenomenon

I think the very first movie I ever saw that absolutely required a second viewing was Angel Heart, back in 1987. The second viewing is necessary because after you know what you know from the initial viewing, you get to watch an entirely different film the second time around. Angel Heart was considered before its time when it was released, and since then, indeed there has been a spate of these kinds of films, some more successful than others.

Stay is one of these 2-films-in-1 experiences, but this film, unfortunately, is not as successful (in my eyes) as, say, The Sixth Sense, Memento, The Machinist or even Angel Heart. Those films succeed brilliantly because they manage to evoke a chilling impact on the viewer by the end. Stay, on the other hand, left me more confused than anything, even though I understood what had happened: -=- SPOILER ALERT -=- The film takes place in the consciousness of Ryan Gosling's character, Henry, who is teetering between life and death after a terrible car accident which killed the other passengers in his vehicle (his mother, his father and his soon-to-be-fiancée). This is a horrendous tragedy, what has happened to Henry: if you can imagine being near death but yet aware that your 3 closest loved ones have been killed in an accident that you inadvertently caused (his tire blew out) - this is a monumentally sad thing to have happen to you, but yet this sadness was not effectively conveyed at the end of the movie because I was instead confused about what had transpired and I had to think about it in depth afterwards to realize that Ewan McGregor's character Sam (who seemed to be the main character of the movie) was also part of Henry's semi-conscious hallucinatory state.

There were just too many scenes in the film that Henry didn't appear in (although McGregor and the always-fantastic Naomi Watts are perfectly cast in their 'roles', as is Gosling). In retrospect, I think this is what caused the confusion and left me not feeling the impact that should have been felt at the realization of what had just transpired. -=- END OF SPOILER. -=-

I don't like making comparisons, but The Sixth Sense, for instance, was hugely successful because it was written in such a way that it included the viewer in Bruce Willis' shocking realization at the end; it has the impact it does (even on repeat viewings!) because of the masterful way it's staged.

What I'm saying is, while Stay is a noble and ambitious effort and still worthy (in my opinion) of a couple of viewings, it's not enough to have a movie that becomes a second movie once you've seen it - the movie has to stand on its own the FIRST time; the impact has to be there the first time or there's no genuine payoff for the viewer. I love a movie that haunts you afterwards and makes you think, that's the best kind of film, but there does have to be that impact the first time, that all-important creeping sense of realization that makes your eyes go wide and gives you goosebumps.