“Don’t Go” Is a Cross Between “Somewhere In Time” and “The Shining”

“Don’t Go” (IFC)

“Don’t Go” is a film about love and loss. Its main characters are brought to life by Stephen Dorff and Melissa George, who give two of the best performances of their careers. The film is set in Ireland and includes many, many scenes of windswept beaches, It is there that tragedy occurs and there that hope arises. This is a “seek it out” film as it is not playing in many theaters, but whatever it takes to see it is worth it.

Ben and Hazel Slater (Dorff and George) are a couple holding on to life and sanity by their fingernails. They have lost their daughter Molly (Grace Farrell) through an accident and their grief is palpable. In order to get on with their lives they move to a new town where Ben is hired as a teacher at the local school and Hazel makes plans to open a hotel.

Once they have arrived and settled in to their hotel/home Ben goes down to the beach and falls asleep. He dreams of a day he, Hazel and Molly were at the beach. A storm arises and Ben reaches for Molly but then wakes up. He thinks about the dream and wonders if he could have saved Molly and in some way brought her back to the real world. This recurring dream figures into the intricate plot laid out by the movie.

Bern also keeps seeing the words “SeAs the Day.” He sees the words written in the sand, on his computer and elsewhere. The phrase haunts him and he tries to determine its linkage to the tragedy and how he can correct time. In this respect the film taps into the feelings of the Christopher Reeve/Jane Seymour film “Somewhere In Time”. Ben’s problems with his sanity and the managing of a hotel brings to mind “The Shining.”

Both Dorff and George’s acting careers have never reached the level of their talent, but this film gives them both a chance to impress. They play their parts with fervor independently and together. Each actor’s talent feeds the other’s.

“Don’t Go” is a moody film with the emotions on the screen mirrored in the haunting beauty of the landscape. There are some scenes with bright daylight but overall the residual memory of the film is a dark, haunting tone.

The film is not rated but would fall into the R category for profanity, violence and nudity.

“Don’t Go” is a film that will draw you into its haunting story of love, loss and renewal. Hunt it out; it is worth seeing.

I scored “Don’t Go” a staying 7 out of 10.

Jackie K Cooper

www.jackiekcooper.com