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Yar, you be here: Stormy Monday > Customer Reviews Stormy Monday Customer Reviews (1 - 3 of 4 Reviews)A must-see for fans of Mike Figgis, Sean Bean, or Sting.
A slick noir piece set in Newcastle, England (yes, Sting's hometown), Stormy Monday is a little-known but beautiful film by Mike Figgis (also the director of "Leaving Las Vegas"). When guileless Irish drifter Brendan (Sean Bean) arrives in town, he befriends a shady nightclub owner Finney (Sting) and falls in love with a ill-used waitress, Kate (Melanie Griffith). As the film's off-beat, strangely elliptical plot advances, all three characters find themselves at odds with a villainous real estate developer, Cosmo (Tommy Lee Jones), who is busy snatching-up an entire portion of the city. (Presumably, Cosmo plans on turning it all into one giant shopping mall, and the film works nicely as a commentary on American-style "globalism" masking good-old American greed.) When Brendan thwarts an attempt on Finney's life (Finney is the last business-owner refusing to sell-out to Cosmo), he and Kate become bystanders in a power struggle between the two men--a situation complicated by Kate's moonlighting as a call girl for Cosmo. As the love story between her and Brendan unfolds-played out against a darkly lyrical backdrop of underworld violence--the film perfectly captures both the promise and menace of the 1980's. A film noir to enjoy again and again.
Because I like the genre (film noir) I sought out this film on advice of a friend. Although, at the time, it was scarce, I am glad I persevered! The cast is a surprise - imagine Sting as the standout in a dark drama! He nearly steals the show! The setting is interesting and the direction superb. This is one of those films that lets you fill in the blanks and causes you to concentrate on each scene so as not to miss a nuance or clue. I found that the second viewing was more than twice as entertaining! I have now seen it four times; each time very enjoyable. Sean Bean was an unknown to me when I first saw the film, but has now become just about my favorite actor - you can see him at his present best in LOTRFOTR as Boromir. In Stormy Monday, made in 1988, he plays a young, blonde, strangely naive fellow with a mystery past (never revealed). Tommy Lee does his expected great turn as the villian (among several in the tale), while Melanie Griffith makes the most of a role-type for which she is well known, the girl-gone-wrong who overcomes her bad luck. You will find a lot to enjoy in this dark story and a chuckle or two also - from the wild Polish rock band! Like Falling Rain
Director Mike Figgis made this somber noir over a decade ago and hardly anyone noticed. This whole film is like falling rain at night. It is dark and somber, and very stylish. Everything works perfectly in this unusual film. Tommy Lee Jones gives his typical wry bad guy performance as a developer involved in politics who wants to take over an entire town in England. The only thing left standing in his way is jazz nightclub owner Sting. Sting gives such a cool performance here you've got to believe he spent hours watching Steve McQueen films. Tangled up in this battle of wills is drifter Sean Bean (Boromir in Lord of the Rings) who meets waitress Melanie Griffith, who may do more than just waitress. As Irish drifter Bean begins a tentative romance with Griffith things turn dangerous and when Bean thwarts an attempt on Sting's life he goes to work at the club. There are a couple of suprises in this film. Melanie Griffith tones down that sex kitten persona and gives a realistic performance as she tries to change her past and stick with Bean. The real revelation is Sting, who nearly steals this film with his ultra cool and natural performance. Maybe being in his home town of Newcastle brought out his best, not wanting to let the blokes down. He certainly doesn't. There are solid performances from the always great Tommy Lee Jones and Sean Bean, and a memorable noir atmosphere. This has always been hard to find, and little known, but now that it is coming out on DVD maybe it will find the audience it deserves. This is a terrific film and you'll want to take a look at this one...
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