MONDAY
(director/writer:Argyris Papadimitropoulos; screenwriter: Rob Hayes; cinematographer: Christos Karamanis; editor: Napoleon Stratogiannakis; music: Alexis Grapsas; cast: Sebastian Stan (Mickey), Denise Gough (Chloe), Dominique Tipper (Bastian), Vangelis Mourikis (Promoter), Andreas Konstantinou (Delivery Guy One), Elli Tringou (Aspa), Yorgos Pirpassopoulos (Argyris), Orfeas Avgoustidis (Orfeas), Sofia Kokkali (Stephanie), Sylla Tzoumerkas (Manos), Marisha Triantafyllidou (Aspa’s Lawyer), Heronymos Kaletsanos (Doctor); Runtime: 116; MPAA Rating: R; producer: Christos V. Konstantakopoulos, Argyris Papadimitropoulos, Deanna Barillari, Brian Kavanaugh Jones, Damian Jones; IFC Films; 2020-UK/USA/Greece-in Greek and English with English subtitles)
“It’s at least honest about its depictions of those who choose to mess up their lives.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Greek filmmaker Argyris Papadimitropoulos (“Suntan”/”Bank Bang”) does a shallow rom-com, finding fault with doomed lovers who live a wasteful life and fail to accept any responsibility for their bad lifestyle decisions. Argyris co-writes it with the talented Brit dramatist Rob Hayes, and it’s mostly in English. The undeveloped story it is filled with the messing of familiar rom-com cliches and unconvincing pretensions, but it’s at least honest about its depictions of those who choose to mess up their lives. It was filmed in the pre-COVID days of 2019.
Mickey (Sebastian Stan) and Chloe (Denise Gough, Irish actress) are two American ex-pats in their mid-30s, who meet in Greece when a friend introduces them at a party held in a disco dance hall (the soundtrack begins with Donna Summer’s 1977 “I Feel Love”). They’re both into sex and find that cements their relationship. Soon after meeting they start fucking, and they seem to have found their nirvana. Chloe is an immigration lawyer who stayed in Greece for a year and half, and was ready to return home before meeting lover boy. He’s a carefree DJ, who is an absentee father to his son (his uptight Greek ex (Elli Tringou) considers him a loser and won’t let him near their 6-year-old boy until he changes). He comes off as brash, irresponsible and contemptuous of others living a different lifestyle.
While she’s at the airport, ready to depart, he begs her to stay and she complies.
She gives up her fancy pad and moves into the apartment one of his bohemian friends lets him use for free.
The film is divided into a series of episodes each labelled “Friday” leading to what is evidently to be a “Monday” reckoning to indicate such a loose hedonist lifestyle that has lasted for over a year has a shelf life (a wild night out, filled with booze and cocaine and a naked chase with the cops– closes things out just like the film opened). But before it comes to its predictable conclusion, we must sit through a sharply observed relationship movie based on lust, with the featured pair screwing their way through idyllic Greece with no apparent emotional consequences.
REVIEWED ON 4/20/2021 GRADE: C+