Monday Review – Fun, Frivolous, A Romantic Dramady
- Details
- Category: Indies, Docs, Foreign Film
- Published on Friday, 16 April 2021 19:12
- Written by Janet Walker
Monday, from IFC Films, presents a sizzling, carefree, dramatic, romantic story as a final night in Greece is punctuated by an unexpected vacation fling that in a burst of realization becomes the relationship of a lifetime.
The film opens at an outdoor party. From across the room, we see a female, played by Denise Gough, on the phone explaining it is her last night in Athens. Unaware the DJ, played by Sebastian Stan, watches her every move. Pushed into action by a mutual friend, he makes the first move.
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The chemistry between them is instantaneous. As tomorrow is not a possibility, the abandonment with the vacation man, in an exotic local, ends the next morning as the two are awaken on the beach by the police. Nude, they are taken to the police station, in the backseat handcuffed where they finally introduce themselves. At the station they are given a stern rebuke for the frivolous behavior and sent on their way.
Chloe has lost her purse at the rave party where this rabbit-hole began. Unable to gain access to her apartment, her passport and ID, her fling, Mickey, played by Sebastian Stan, does the gentlemanly thing, and invites her back to his place to shower.
They end up spending another night together. As time is slowly ticking down, the reality of leaving someone that has more of a forever feel becomes a sticking point.
The two, both Americans, Chloe an immigration lawyer, is leaving in Athens for seven years and Mickey, a successful musician, left life in the states for the simpler life where every night is a party.
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At the airport, Chloe is heading through security when Mickey burst through the door, screaming her name. She decides to stay. Deciding to live together the film moves into the beginnings of this new love.
The film follows them through all the usual relationship levels, they move her stuff into his apartment, they throw a party to merge each of their friends with the others which goes horribly wrong, they end up seeing the true sides of each other and hearing opinions which haunt and become wedged into their romance like a third partner in the room.
Not fully trusting of the other in the early stages of this romance, we live through these moments, with them. His rave party friends who aren't quite ready for the married and unavailable to party, Mickey. And Chloe has closed the door on her past seven years, leaving the relationship behind and felt it wasn't necessary to explain.
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As they progress, seasons are highlighted on screen with prop placement and the occasionally "Friday." They seem to finally hit a grove, where everything is adjusting, and life is moving along nicely. The ending is challenging as they decide to deep dive into debauchery just at a pivotal moment, this scene I felt was contrived and unnecessary. Almost cliché.
Monday begins as a carefree, suddenly fortunate has smiled upon us, film. The happiness of love, and the abandonment they feel and exhibit and freedom to drop pretense, is very well played. A giddiness of love, they are the lovers one would see on the street and smile.
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Overall Monday is fun, a romantic dramady. The ensemble cast truly delivers authentic palpable performances. The cinematography, as it is Greece, is of course stunning. Audience should expect full frontal nudity.
Monday is playing at select theater with an expected quick move to streaming and On Demand. Check local listings.
Country: USA.
Runtime: 115minutes.
Director: Argyris Papadimitropoulos.
Writer: Rob Hayes & Argyris Papadimitropoulos.
Producers: Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Argyris Papadimitropoulos, Deanna Barillari, Brian Kavanaugh Jones & Damian Jones.
Executive Producers: Fred Berger, Fenia Cossovitsa.
Cast: Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough.
