Stormy Monday
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| Stormy Monday | |
|---|---|
 Region 1 DVD cover |
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| Directed by | Mike Figgis |
| Produced by | Nigel Stafford-Clark (producer) Alan J. Wands (associate producer) |
| Written by | Mike Figgis |
| Starring | Melanie Griffith Tommy Lee Jones Sting Sean Bean |
| Music by | Mike Figgis |
| Cinematography | Roger Deakins |
| Editing by | David Martin |
| Distributed by | Atlantic Releasing |
| Release date(s) | April 22, 1988 |
| Running time | 93 min. |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
| Allmovie profile | |
| IMDb profile | |
Stormy Monday is the 1988 feature film debut of director Mike Figgis. Starring Sean Bean, Tommy Lee Jones, Sting and Melanie Griffith it is an atmospheric noirish thriller. The notable jazz soundtrack is also by Figgis. Being set in Newcastle-upon-Tyne the film is something of an homage to Get Carter.
[edit] Plot Summary
A young man, Brendan (Sean Bean), seeks work in a jazz club owned by Finney (Sting). There is some suggestion that Finney has past connections with organized crime but is attempting to leave these behind. Two gangsters arrive to make Finney an offer he cannot refuse for his Club but Brendan overhears them and warns Finney who then turns the tables on them. At the same time Newcastle is preparing to host a visit from a group of American investors that it hopes to engage in a grandiose regeneration project. Kate (Melanie Griffiths) a waitress has been recruited to service the delegation. Kate and Brendan meet and fall in love. Amongst the visiting group is Cosmo (Tommy Lee Jones) a corrupt business man who we learn uses Kate as a prostitute to secure business deals. It is Cosmo who has been putting the pressure on Finney as the Club stands in the way of his plans for the city leading to an eventual conflict.
A subplot involves an avant-garde jazz group called the "Kraków Jazz Ensemble" who visit Newcastle to perform and become entangled in the conflict. One of the film's longest scenes is a celebration to which the group is invited; this takes place among members of Newcastle's Polish community.
[edit] Miscellanea
The production was initially a low budget project funded by Channel 4 and British Screen. When the film attracted American financing it was suggested that the film be recast with American actors. Both Melanie Griffith's and Tommy Lee Jones' careers were in a dip at the time and agreed to take parts at a lower fee. Between the time of the film being shot and its release Working Girl was released and Griffith became an Oscar-nominated star. This secured Stormy Monday greater attention on its US release helping revive interest in Lee Jones and propel Figgis and Bean to Hollywood.
The film was followed by the ITV miniseries Finney in 1994.
