Mondays in the Sun
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Movie Reviews of Mondays in the Sun
Movie Review: Very Good Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
It is a very good movie, no nudity, lots of bad words but very good messageMovie Review: `All that we were told about communism was a lie', `but the worst thing is that all we were told about capitalism was true'
Summary: 4 Stars
"Mondays in the Sun", directed by Fernando León de Aranoa, is a movie where not much happens. Despite that, it is worthwhile seeing, and remembering...
Why?. Because it tells us the story of a group of friends, former workers in a shipyard, who were sacked from their jobs and are unemployed. The spectators will watch them look repeatedly and uselessly for a new job, and deal with being unemployed and old in a society where most jobs are for young people. As a result, viewers are likely to realize that having a job isn't only about earning money, but also part of who we are, to a certain extent. And in the case of most of these men, their identities are in need of a redefinition that gives their lives new meaning.
This story takes place in Spain, but it could have been set in many other places. "Mondays in the Sun" is a film about unemployment and friendship, and those are things that are everywhere. As such, you are highly unlikely to find the message of this movie irrelevant. Even if you have a job (and that is my case), you probably know that some people don't, and that they suffer the consequences of that lack.
It is pertinent to point out that this isn't a film that will make you laugh. It is somewhat gloomy at times, and the actors play well the roles of people on the edge, eager to strike out at whomever is near them. Santa (Javier Bardem) is specially impressive as a man who doesn't have a clue regarding what to do with himself now that he doesn't have a job.
Another of the characters of this story is Serguei (Serge Riaboukine), a former Russian astronaut who is in Spain looking for a job. Serguei tells the others a joke: "Two old party comrades meet and one says `All that we were told about communism was a lie'. The other says `Yes, but the worst thing is that all we were told about capitalism was true'. In that silly joke, said by chance, we can find the root of the problem that aflicts these men...
Truth to be told, "Mondays in the Sun" tells us what happens to those left behind by capitalism. Of course, capitalism is not always good, but all the other systems are even worse. However, that doesn't mean we can deny that our system has problems that must be solved. This movie gets that point across powerfully, and because of that I highly recommend it.
Belen Alcat
Movie Review: A reward only for patient cinema viewers
Summary: 4 Stars
How can one one be entertained by a movie about the unglorious lives of four laid off shipyard employees in the grim setting of an economically depressed Spanish coastal city? Certainly, the slow pace of bar room banter coupled with the latent rage of the characters do not make for gripping drama. Yet, for the patient viewer, this award-winning Spanish movie becomes cinema verite at its best. The many subtle shades of human emotion and motives in the lives of these characters as they precariously tread in unemployment, are rendered with an unhurried pace which matches the reality they face daily of no real exit from misfortune other than to console themselves with each other. The movie turns out to be a winner!Movie Review: Quite good.
Summary: 3 Stars
I give this movie three stars. At first I wanted to give it a lower rating but I think this has to do with my own discomfort of what it's like to be unemployed and worrying about money. However, after extra consideration, I have to say that a movie is pretty powerful if it can evoke emotions regardless if they are happy, sad or anxiety provoking.
The acting was good, there were lines that made me smile and the overwhelming dismal lives of several friends all suffering unemployment had a sense of authenticity to it. The direction was on target with how a person can become full of doubt on so many levels when one loses his/her paycheck.
It's not a comfortable film. Men and women in their late 40's and early 50's suffering job discrimination is also made apparent in this movie. This, of course, reflects real life situations as younger candidates tend to be preferred by employers.
It was kind of funny how they made Javier Bárdem's appearance look older by shaving a widow's peak into his hairline. This was apparently obvious in the very first scene with him as you can see the 5 o'clock shadow where his real hairline is. He also gained some weight for this film or wore a "chunky" suit (not so much a fat suit).
It's not a bad film but due to the somber nature of the film it's not amazing either. I didn't get a new perspective nor was I shown a piece of art. Basically I felt as though I saw a typical struggle that we, as economy sufferers, see and hear all too often on the news and read in the paper.
Movie Review: The story of the losers
Summary: 3 Stars
I cannot say I liked this film. The thing is that actors are great, story is developed calmly but not too slowly. Some scenes are plenty of interesting "messages".
For all of this, "Mondays in the Sun" is fantastic. What is the problem? The problem is the story itself. You can use best actors, best studios, best screenplay. But when the story is plain and gives you no new point of view of a well-known work conflict, you have the sensation you have been not a film, not even a documental, but an article in a TV magazine.
This film has been overprized and overpraised here in Spain. We have terrible work conflicts, and some of them have to do with naval industry. I think this film is very superficial because it shows dismissed workers as losers but happy. And those who have earned a life and have raised from nothing are shown as naive and sad.
And so this is not a good message for young people trying to earn for a life.