Dating isn’t intuitive. In fact, there’s quite a bit of learning involved – how to approach someone, what to say, and what not to say. There’s also this elusive thing called spark, and if you don’t have it with the person you’re seeing, you could be your most charming self and things would still fizzle out. Grace (Andrea Bang) doesn’t know how to date, due in part to the fact that she’s barely practiced. She went to an all-girl high school, her college years were spent studying and being the emotional blanket for her roommate, and now she’s so focused on work and progress that she lets opportunities pass her by.
However, when she discovers that she’s not received the promotion she’s worked so hard for, Grace decides to seize the day for once in her life. She goes out to a club, just like her roommate suggests, only it’s not as easy as turning to a random stranger and saying “hi”. Grace calls it a night, hails a cab and gets into it, only she’s not alone. Carter (Joe Scarpellino), who was also at the club, decides to get into the cab with her to avoid a fight with some random guys.
It’s uncomfortable of course since Carter’s a stranger, yet there’s also a sizzle of chemistry between the pair. Impulsively, Grace decides to get off when Carter does, and the pair end up connecting, prolonging their time together as they location hop. The style is very reminiscent of the Before Sunrise trilogy, albeit less organic, where a happenstance meeting between two strangers leads to interesting conversations and something more.
The film’s use of lighting is great and extremely apt, with low-lit interiors that create a sexy and romantic mood, as the characters lean in and share their secrets with one another. This allows for juxtaposition later on, since it’s only when they move into more brightly-lit locations that things start to feel more real. Bang and Scarpellino have pretty good chemistry with each other, so much so that you find yourself annoyed when her work colleagues insert themselves into their night.
But director and writer Renuka Jeyapalan knows exactly what she’s doing. All these interruptions serve to create even more anticipation, as we lean forward in our seats, wondering when Grace and Carter will work up the courage to continue what they started in his hotel room. It’s slow, unhurried, concupiscent even, which is something a lot of romantic films fail to build up.
Stay the Night also explores the idea of romantic expectation. When Carter asks Grace to tell him about a time when she felt some romantic spark with a guy, the best she can come up with is an arm brush with a random guy on a bus that amounts to nothing. That’s the best she can conjure because romance has always existed more in her head than in real life.
But right now, with Carter, everything feels right. As Stay the Night takes us through images of a still, unmoving city, we are reminded of how life can feel so lonely at times. So when we feel that connection and spark, we need to hold on to it for as long as we can. I think we sometimes look at one night stands as meaningless, pleasure-driven endeavours, but Stay the Night shows us a different side to things. True connection, however brief, is life-changing and affecting. This was a night both Grace and Carter would never forget.
Review screener provided.
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