Stormy Monday

This is one of those sleeper films, a good one that is not very well- known.....but should be. I really liked this modern-day film noir when I first saw it over a decade ago and the three additional times since.

The movie has all the features of a good noir, most of all a feeling of impending doom throughout, which a good noir exhibits. You know some bad things are going to happen, but you just don't know what and when. That uneasy mood runs throughout the film.

Add some tough characters, great cinematography (nice colors, too, in this case) and even a good blues music score and you have an interesting film. The story here revolves around a ruthless American businessman trying to buy up an entire block of the businesses in one area in Britain.

There's humor in here too with a goofy Polish jazz band, which looked and sounded just awful, and just enough action throughout to keep from getting too talky. Tommy Lee Jones, Melanie Griffith, Sting and Sean Bean star and all are fascinating to watch.

Stormy Monday has a fairly routine plot, with a few odd twists to it. What makes it special? Three things.

The atmosphere of the movie makes you feel as if you're having a nice evening out on the town, making your way from pub to pub. You can almost taste the beer, and smell the smoke. Most of the story is shot on location in the old Newcastle city center. If you're in the right mood for something like this, then it's perfect.

Secondly, the characters are interesting and engaging, yet enigmatic. You want to know more about them. None fit the typical Hollywood stereotype. Sting, Sean Bean, Melanie Griffith, and Tommy Lee Jones (a relatively obscure actor then) are all in top form.

Third, if you enjoy jazz, then this is a must-see. In that regard, it is comparable to The Cotton Club, Round Midnight, or Bird. The visiting Polish jazz band reminds me of the struggling young musicians in Leningrad Cowboys Go America. This was clearly made by someone who appreciates good music.

This movie, released in the late 1980s, may be hard to find. But it's worth it.

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.

Cosmo (Tommy Lee Jones) is an American businessman with lots of connections, most under the table, who arrives in Newcastle on Tyne to seal deals. The celebration of "America Week" in England announces the malling of Great Britain as American monies of dubious sources invaded while the Thatcher government turned its head. Into this cesspool, Kate (Melanie Griffith) a local waitress and formerly an "escort" for Cosmo is recruited to play nice to business associates he sends her way. Rolling over the small business owners like Finney (Sting) a jazz club owner, Cosmo has no qualms about getting what he wants whether by legit or illegitimate means.

A sub-storyline to the economic takeover by Cosmo is the love story between Kate and Brendan (Sean Bean), an Irish laborer who cleans toilets in Finney's club, but over hears the plans of two London seedy types who discuss how to make sure Finney sells the Kit Kat Klub to Cosmo. After informing Finney of their intentions, Brendan's loyalty is rewarded by his elevation to a go-for babysitting a progressive jazz band, the Krakow Jazz Ensemble who need to be picked up at the airport for a weekend gig. While Brendan carts the band around town, he falls in love with Kate. During their time together, Kate and Brendan are jumped and beaten by the roughs who surround Cosmo. The drama is predictable until a surprise twist and unexpected negotiation change the dynamic, and saves the film.

The story line entwine to provide worthwhile entertainment for an hour and forty minutes, and the actors all provide solid performances. The soundtrack is a nice mix of 80s Brit sounds and cerebral jazz tunes with Sting doing a solo bass bit mid-film although he does not sing. Tommy Lee Jones is wonderful with an evil yet subtle humor to his business dealings and the sight of a young, buff and naked Sean Bean is delightful.

A good afternoon film for a rainy day, if only for the performances by actors not usually cast together, and for director, Mike Figgis, an underrated early film worth checking out.