Simply A Masterpiece

Save your money for something good and enjoyable

It is not deep, but it is fun to watch. It does have a bit more of an edge to it than other similar films.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Takagi is your everyday (especially on Mondays) Japanese salaryman. Yet on this particular Monday, instead of heading to the start of the working week, he finds himself waking in a strange hotel room at the conclusion of a manic weekend. But there's one problem: he has no idea how he got there. Going through his personal artefacts, he gradually starts to piece together the story of what happened.Starting off at a funeral where he inadvertently causes the corpse to explode, he then alienates himself from his girlfriend with some strange behaviour, before ending up at the wrong bar. Alcohol soon proves to be his downfall with each additional drink seeing his situation grow worse and worse. Turning on the television, he sees the reality of what happened to him, finding himself the centre of attention with no way out. 'Monday' is a stylish film, with good camera-work for some tasty angles, but is laced with humour throughout, particularly Tsutsumi Shinichi's dance scene as the drunken Takagi descends into drunken madness. Jaunty editing blurs the line between sophistication and stupidity nicely. This is a satire towards the film's conclusion, questioning the right to murder, hold a gun, but most importantly, the right to use being drunk as an excuse - one I am particularly fond of. There are some clunky moments throughout the film. The speed of the descent, the slow-acting police at the film's conclusion; though these do add to the sense of surreal humour in the film, in a slow- paced, distinctly Japanese brand of cinema, where unbelievable scenarios are met with a very everyday sense of disbelief. Tsutsumi Shinichi - often the lead in early SABU films - gives a charming performance as Takagi, who goes through every emotion going on his weekend roller-coaster, with cameos from everybody's favourite supporting actors in Japanese cinema, Susumu Terajima, Ren Osugi and the beautifully named Tomorowo Taguchi. Drinking like there's no tomorrow will only lead you to not like what the morning will bring, and this is what SABU explores in 'Monday'. Stylish and satirical, this is one Monday you won't not like.politic1983.blogspot.co.uk

Two thirds of the movie are filled with grotesque humorous scenes, whereas at end the tone of the movie changes completely and you get a dead serious message delivered. But the good news are: this somehow works. This is brilliant movie and it got to me form the first scenes. I only wished that the two parts where stronger connected. Was there any indication in the first two thirds, that the movie has the subject: "is self defense justified?". No. It was all about palm reading, laughing endlessly and drunk dancing/shooting. I watched the movie now four times, because I can't get enough of the bar scenes. The laughing sequence is the best since Laurel and Hardy's "Fra Diavolo."

I really wanted to like this movie, but despite some moments of sheer brilliance, it doesn't quite hold together....As earlier reviewers have already stated, the film centers around a reserved young Japanese man who wakes up in a hotel room unable to remember the day before. He regains his memory little-by-little through flashbacks and little clues from his pockets. He soon learns he is the subject of a national manhunt, for reasons best left to the viewer."Monday" switches genres several times in the space of 1 hour and 40 minutes. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it is difficult to do well. The first fifteen minutes are brilliant. The funeral scene is expertly timed comic gold....We then veer into absurd "Twin Peaks" territory at the bar, which ends up merely being annoying.We then enter Tarantino-ville, although the style is really more Dog Day Afternoon vs. American Psycho. The protagonist understands what he has done, and we watch as a very disturbed man goes insane before your very eyes. This is done well, but the film goes off-track again (is it being preachy? is it being tongue-in-cheek?) before ending.Basicaly, I felt that this is a very original movie and a very original idea that could have been a lot better. I'd like to see what else the director can do.

This one is definitively stunning. I've already heard about this director, under the pseudonym "Sabu", reading some reviews about his late work "Drive" that I hope to see asap.. In fact, this is a very talented director. "Monday" is a story of mystery, misfortune, hope and strangeness. I think the comment of the director explain clearly what is really "Monday": "I've just decided to do what I wanted to do, and that was ... a comedy, an action film, a painful story, imaginary with a bit of horror and also a "dancing" film very rigorous, intransigent, with much, much, much dancing. I wanted all of these elements to be putted into this movie, I wanted that was full of cynic laughter and also to be less long than 100. I've tried and I made it!" Just watch it!