Brilliant and touching

Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I was 16 in 1988. I do remember seeing this film and falling for Sean Bean. I kept away from him and his movies for a few years and recently have started collecting his movies - I had to have this gem in my collection. Will Sean Bean live? You'll have to watch the film - I won't give spoil the fun. The movie is well worth watching if you are into film-noir. It's one of the better crime films to come out of the 1980s. Good to see this one again all these years later. 9/10

I can remember when STORMY Monday was released. To my knowledge it never played in local theaters near where I lived. My first exposure to it was in video form. With Melanie Griffith, Sting and Tommy Lee Jones being popular at the time it was one I ordered for my shelves. Even there it didn't fare that well. It is another of those movies tossed out with no fanfare that is interesting but never found its audience. That may change with it being released on blu-ray.The movie has several intersecting stories that culminate into one as it moves forward. The first involves Kate (Griffith) as a waitress and possibly part time mistress for a high roller. Unhappy with her life he calls to have her go buy a new outfit and join him that night. The second is a young man named Brendan (Sean Bean in his second major film role) who bumps into Kate knocking her over at the mall while reading the want ads. He in turn applies for a job at a local jazz club owned by Finney (Sting). Hired he's sent to pick up a visiting jazz band coming in from Poland. He takes them to a hotel for their visit…where Kate shows to meet up with her part time boyfriend Cosmo (Jones).To tie it altogether it turns out that Cosmo is in town to help celebrate America Days, a business effort with the city of Manchester. His plans are to revitalize the area, tearing down current buildings and creating new jobs and opportunities. His major problem at the moment is that the owner of a jazz club, Finney, refuses to sell. Brendan meets Kate once more when he stops into the restaurant she works in to eat. While there he overhears the plans of a couple of thugs to rob the jazz club and "convince" the owner to sell. The rest of the story unfolds from there.So a lot of the story here seems to be one piece of the puzzle conveniently fitting into the next over and over again. I found that to be a bit distracting while watching this movie. The fact that each of these characters run into one another in a city the size of Manchester, that the interest of all involved all revolves around one small club, just feels too contrived to be believable. Yes, I know it's a movie but still with this many items one after the other (including the remains of a car wreck entering the city later referenced which places the Polish jazz band working for both Como and Finney) tying into one another it pushes it a bit far.The film is incredibly easy to watch though. The cinematography is wonderful with plenty of stylized lighting and sets combining to make it appear to be a location that's seen better days yet has several areas of interest anyway. This is in part due to the fact that it was shot by Roger Deakins who had shot SID AND NANCY the year prior and went on to shoot THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION, FARGO, THE BIG LEBOWSKI, NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, SKYFALL and more. Director Mike Figgis also went on to bigger things including directing LEAVING LAS VEGAS. For some reason his star never rose much higher than that film though.Arrow Video is releasing this and they remain one of a handful of companies whose releases should be met with enthusiasm and excitement. The prints they off are always the highest quality and this one is no exception with a beautiful hi def edition of this movie. The extras here are limited but make the movie itself more interesting. They include an audio commentary track with director Figgis moderated by critic Damon Wise, a video appreciation by critic Neil Young discussing the city of Newcastle and how it relates to film especially this one, the theatrical trailer, a reversible sleeve with original and newly commissioned artwork by Jacey and for the first pressing only a booklet written by critic Mark Cunliffe.Fans of mysteries, film noir and British crime films will find this a must have for their collections. Movie fans will find enough to enjoy in the film itself. And if you love all things Arrow Video like I do, it is one more movie to add to the shelf.

Cosmo (Tommy Lee Jones) is an American businessman with lots of connections, most under the table, who arrives in Newcastle on Tyne to seal deals. The celebration of "America Week" in England announces the malling of Great Britain as American monies of dubious sources invaded while the Thatcher government turned its head. Into this cesspool, Kate (Melanie Griffith) a local waitress and formerly an "escort" for Cosmo is recruited to play nice to business associates he sends her way. Rolling over the small business owners like Finney (Sting) a jazz club owner, Cosmo has no qualms about getting what he wants whether by legit or illegitimate means.A sub-storyline to the economic takeover by Cosmo is the love story between Kate and Brendan (Sean Bean), an Irish laborer who cleans toilets in Finney's club, but over hears the plans of two London seedy types who discuss how to make sure Finney sells the Kit Kat Klub to Cosmo. After informing Finney of their intentions, Brendan's loyalty is rewarded by his elevation to a go-for babysitting a progressive jazz band, the Krakow Jazz Ensemble who need to be picked up at the airport for a weekend gig. While Brendan carts the band around town, he falls in love with Kate. During their time together, Kate and Brendan are jumped and beaten by the roughs who surround Cosmo. The drama is predictable until a surprise twist and unexpected negotiation change the dynamic, and saves the film.The story line entwine to provide worthwhile entertainment for an hour and forty minutes, and the actors all provide solid performances. The soundtrack is a nice mix of 80s Brit sounds and cerebral jazz tunes with Sting doing a solo bass bit mid-film although he does not sing. Tommy Lee Jones is wonderful with an evil yet subtle humor to his business dealings and the sight of a young, buff and naked Sean Bean is delightful.A good afternoon film for a rainy day, if only for the performances by actors not usually cast together, and for director, Mike Figgis, an underrated early film worth checking out.

Sean Bean continually proves he is the best thing in any movie he is in, period. As "Brendan," and the most unknown actor in this flick, he turns in the only "real" performance in the film. You believe ever nuance of his character, a jazz buff, who is just trying to establish himself in Newcastle, England. He is the love interest of Melanie Griffith, and her partner in this story of a corrupt businessman, Tommy Lee Jones, and a tough nightclub owner, Sting. BEAN IS THE ONLY ONE WORTH WATCHING. Oddly enough, he is the newcomer in this film, but when he is on screen you are there, every second. Griffith, had the good sense to request him to play opposite her in the film, but the story is odd at best, but the young and perfectly stunning Sean Bean make this film worth the viewing. If memory serves me correctly, there was an actor's strike in America, and that is why this film has two big name U.S. stars. But they do not shine at all in comparison to the scene stealer in it, Sean Bean. Sean takes the movie completely away from the major stars in it, not by overacting, but merely by acting brilliantly and subtly. The man can break your heart and does, and his stillness on screen speaks volumes louder than all the "characterizations," of the other actors.