If I Could Get You To Stay

If I Could Get You To Stay is a touching love story which follows a young man, James (Hamish Wolstenholme), who struggles to find the courage to ask his long-distance girlfriend, Yvonne (Erin Thwaites), to stay with him as they prepare to part ways once more. It is a relatively grounded narrative that's tough to witness as both characters delay the inevitable and make the most of the final time they have together.

The writer/director Michael Spencer sublimely ushers the viewer into the final time James and Yvonne have together, using steady camerawork to ensure both characters are always in the centre of the frame. Consisting predominantly of extreme close-ups and fixed camerawork by cinematographer Jeason Hanson, it's an incredibly intimate experience that feels meditative and a window into the love the two characters share for each other. Vanya Korolchuk’s musical score is low-key and moving while anchoring the touching nature of the narrative and quieter moments of recollection as James attempts to muster up the courage to speak before it's too late. It's an inevitably tragic story which makes the most of its short-lived runtime to flesh out both characters to a suitable degree. This is clearly a deeply personal piece of filmmaking that the performers and crew had joy making with a distinct love and passion for the material in every frame, while making astounding use of its budget limitations.

The chemistry between the two leads is endearing, and they convey their characters’ emotions with such empathy and raw tenderness that it's incredibly heart-wrenching to see them both attempt to make the restricted time spent together as special as they can. While the characterisation for both central characters is paper-thin, the screenplay still manages to ground both characters well enough, and the formal elements soar to anchor the understated nature of the material to impressive heights. However, the short-lived runtime is a detriment to the experience, and there is ultimately not that much to chew on thematically. A broader runtime could have fleshed out James and Yvonne’s relationship more deeply to make it fully emotionally resonate with the audience. Perhaps reworking the material into a feature-length narrative could be a potential idea down the line, as the performances and filmmaking are profoundly moving. The piece still manages to be consistently engaging until its emotionally driven climax. Both actors clearly have a bright future ahead of them, considering what they were able to accomplish with such limited material.

While the conclusion to the piece is ambiguous and leaves the viewer wanting more, it's a suitable place to leave it, as the audience can decide for themselves the further journey both characters end up on. The conclusive moments are emotionally overwhelming and deliver on the film’s steady build-up, effectively wrapping up both character arcs in a satisfying manner.

If I Could Get You To Stay conveys the meditative and low-key journey of two individuals making the most of the time they have together before their inevitable departure. Held together by two outstanding central performances from Hamish Wolstenholme and Erin Thwaites, and Michael Spencer’s formalism, it's an intimate and touching piece of filmmaking that depicts the power of love between two individuals having the courage to reach out to one another.