Stormy Monday

source: Stormy Monday

Trailer—Stormy Monday

Stormy Monday

Don't be deceived by the apparently slow pace of this film. Things are happening, but it's only later that you realise it, when the consequences of those early sequences start hitting and hitting hard. A well crafted film, set in Newcastle England, in which the lives of an out of work drifter, a tough prosperous night club owner, an American waitress and a hard-dealing New York businessman slowly intertwine until they're set on a collision course. All this to a seductive jazz soundtrack that just has to be heard over the hi-fi.

I was 16 in 1988. I do remember seeing this film and falling for Sean Bean. I kept away from him and his movies for a few years and recently have started collecting his movies - I had to have this gem in my collection. Will Sean Bean live? You'll have to watch the film - I won't give spoil the fun. The movie is well worth watching if you are into film-noir. It's one of the better crime films to come out of the 1980s. Good to see this one again all these years later. 9/10

Not much to say that wasn't said below, but I guess I need ten lines. Kudos to the cinematographer photographing the setting, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. This film was near the height of Melanie Griffith's career, and I have to say that the short, reddish, hairstyle is not particularly flattering to her. But it is always nice to hear her soft dulcet voice, musically feminine, even when she's being tough. Sting's acting was just fine, which makes me think that it isn't that hard, since so many non-actors are able to do decent work at it. I am unfamiliar with Sean Bean, who seemed to be the main character. I found this film to be okay, but nothing really to write home about.

The mist, the neon, the reflections- Roger Deakins could make snot shine. What a great looking movie. And that's it. There's almost nothing else to distinguish Stormy Monday, which marches to its inexorable conclusion with measured indifference. Coincidences rule the day, while little things like character and consistency are passed over in favor of atmosphere and (perfunctory) symbolism. Figgis can maintain a tone, but style alone just leaves me detached. The script is so tight, the story seems artificial; it succeeds mainly in assuring that none of the characters are worth giving a damn about. It's all breath, no blood. In art, such aloofness has probably always been fashionable. It's also terribly juvenile, like a teenager who thinks that cigarette smoking makes him look grown-up. Stormy Monday is a poster child for going through the motions.

I have seen this film a few times since it came out more than ten years ago. I think it is seriously underrated. It has a great Jazz soundtrack written by Mike Figgis, the director (who went on to make Leaving Las Vegas). A brilliant cast: Sean Bean, Melanie Griffith, Tommy Lee Jones and Sting. It has a film noir feel throughout that fits the post-industrial Newcastle setting very well (lots of great location shots BTW). Last of all, the beautifully paced editing, which is just icing on the cake. I can't help but notice that this film is not polling too well at the moment (averaging 6.5 out of 10.0), perhaps it's the slightly anti-American subtext? While I didn't notice any direct references to this film in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (apart from Sting doing an above average acting job in both of them). I think they would make a great double feature. Worth it for the soundtrack alone : 9/10.

A beautifully shot film noir with natural, affecting performances and interesting characters who don't reveal everything in the first half hour. The great strength of the film is that it takes its time to slowly unravel, creating a mood of unrest and doom. The love story works but doesn't overpower the rest of the narrative. An enjoyable and sadly overlooked late-80s gem...maybe Figgis's recent success with "Leaving Las Vegas" will bring some attention to this earlier work.

I consider myself lucky I found it on the TV, even if I had lost a bit of the beginning. I will definitely rent it again. This film has an excellent atmosphere and absorbs you instantly. A great soundtrack compliments excellent performances by the four leads. The plot may be a little weak, but it is the feeling of the movie that plays a primary role. I even liked the love story inside, which is very unlike me. I see it is quite underrated here in IMDB, but for me it is a solid 9. Mike Figgis is an extremely talented director and this is a good example of his qualifications. Strongly recommended!