On S List of Movie Reviews

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Stormy Monday (1988)

Rate: 5
Viewed: 2/22

2/22: A flawed film, Stormy Monday is a good start for Mike Figgis.

I didn't know the director was until the closing credits because the feel felt like Mike Figgis the entire time. He has a certain hypnotic way of drawing me while building up the characters. It's been the same technique in Liebestraum, Leaving Las Vegas, and One Night Stand.

Unfortunately, I never understood the plot. What's the point of buying an English jazz club in the middle of nowhere? How does it advance the American businessman's claim to power or help him be profitable? The popularity of jazz went out of the window long before that. What's exactly the function of Melanie Griffith's character? Silly is the ending when the car was bombed but nobody inside the club came out to see what happened.

However, I like the neo-noir look. The pairing of Sean Bean and Melanie Griffith is A-plus, and they're at their physical peak. However, Tommy Lee Jones is wasted, and Sting isn't much of an actor despite hailing from Newcastle where the movie takes place.

All in all, Stormy Monday is Mike Figgis' filmmaking blueprint, and he'll perfect his storytelling ability.

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