The story is fairly run-of-the-mill and very 1980s in essence, complete with a large-scale corporate villain and a romance as cliched and naive as the come. But when Stormy Monday still works as well as it does, it's because of first-time director Mike Figgis (later of the award-winning Leaving Las Vegas) and his canny, compelling visual style and eclectic use of music. His scenes come and go as if in a slumbering dream, and it's all soft and soothing - like a nice hot bath after coming in from the cold. Now, the characters are drawn up with large, crude crayons and there's not much to learn or ponder over, but since Figgis clearly doesn't seem to mind this, I was almost tempted into not doing so either. Mediocre acting from all three principal leads (with Sting as the refreshing exception) does little to improve the dramatic effect.
Review of Stormy Monday
Stormy Monday
(1988)
Cliched and naive, but Figgis has a canny, compelling visual style
19 October 2023