A Terrible Start to a Week: Stormy Monday (Arrow Video) Blu-ray Review + Screenshots

Stormy Monday is a beautiful film that does nothing to convince the audience that it is all that good. In fact, the film is pretty bad, and not even the actors can save the film.

THE FEATURES ⭐⭐

Audio Commentary with Writer/Director Mike Figis and Critic Damon Wise

Just the Same?: Stormy Monday 30 Years On... (33m 15s, HD)

Critic Neil Young looks back at the legacy of Stormy Monday and revisits key locations from the film.

Was not all that impressed with this feature. I found Young to be a babbling mess who clearly loves the film, but I find that he likes the idea and history of the film more than the film itself. This feature goes on for far too long and would recommend skipping it unless you are a huge fan of the film and even then I recommend caution in watching this.

Theatrical Trailer (1m 29s, HD)

This trailer has more heat and passion than the film ever has.

Image Gallery (12 Images)

THE PACKAGING N/A

As with some of the blu-rays that I review on this site, I was sent this as a screener. Therefore, I do not have anything to say about the packaging as I do not have it in front of me. I do know that this edition of the film is a combo pack (blu-ray and dvd) and will come in the traditional Arrow clear double case with reversible artwork; one side featuring newly commissioned artwork from Jacey and the other side featuring the film's original theatrical poster. There will also be a booklet that features essays and photos.

The blu-ray and dvd will both be REGION FREE

THE PICTURE ⭐⭐⭐ 1/2

tommy lee jones practicing for The Fugitive

Stormy Monday looks good. The cinematography by Roger Deakins really shines here. The colors pop off the screen and there is a thick haze throughout. Black levels are deep and I did not detect any digital manipulation. Grain is present and accounted for and doesn't get in the way. This is a really nice presentation of the film.

THE SOUND ⭐⭐ 1/2

Sean Bean pouring out his feelings to a random person inside of a car

The track used here is fine for the most part, but there are times where the sound, the smaller sounds that are usually foley work, sound metallic echoey. The main sounds, the actors and such sound great, but those other sounds are a problem. I have never seen this film before, so I can not tell if they are part of the film itself (which is most likely the case) or if there was a mistake done at the lab.

THE FILM ⭐

Brendan takes a job as janitor for Finney, who runs a jazz nightclub in the Northern English city of Newcastle. But Finney is being pressured to sell his club, and Brendan soon provides non-janitorial services to Finney. Soon his rival's American boss Cosmo comes to town, while Brendan begins to fall in love with Kate, an escort working for Cosmo.

When I was younger, I would always see the VHS copy of this film that the local video store had. Back then I was still trying to find my cinematic voice. I knew that I liked animated films and Godzilla was my favorite monster, but outside of that, I wasn't sure what I wanted to try next. I would scour the video store looking for the next thing, and Stormy Monday always looked me in the face anytime I was there. I never rented the film and, after watching it last night, I know that I would have hated the film.

I was bored out of my mind with this film. Nothing happens for a good long while and then when something does happen, the film is over. This is a ninety-minute test pattern passing itself off as a wannabe film noir.

The characters are all bland and unlikeable, even the leads who are supposed to carry the film. You would think that Sean Bean and Melanie Griffith would give a damn, but they don't. Tommy Lee Jones plays the villain of the piece, but he doesn't really do any villainy type stuff until the end and even then, we just don't care.

The film does look nice and the jazz music that is in almost every scene in the film carries the film well, but there is not really anything else to the film itself. It is a shallow love story that contains political intrigue (I think), but the film moves so slowly that we just want to yell at the screen to get on with it.

OVERALL ⭐⭐

Stormy Monday is not a good film. It wants to be a good film, but doesn't try hard enough. Every actor in the film has done much better work in films that, sometimes, aren't any better than this one.

The blu-ray gives us a nice picture and decent sound, but the special features are lacking. The commentary is ok, but that look back featurette grows long in the tooth. Skip the all together unless you are a fan of the film.