Monday
Starring: Denise Gough and Sebastian Stan
Directed By: Argyris Papadimitropoulos
Rated: R
When free-spirited DJ Mickey (Sebastian Stan) and immigration lawyer Chloe (Denise Gough) meet at a house party in Athens, Greece, sparks fly, and the two hit it off immediately. Chloe is fresh off of a bad breakup, and Mickey is just looking for a good time. After a whirlwind weekend, the two discover a connection that may last longer than expected.
Monday is all about the ups and downs of a fiery relationship. The Fridays between Mickey and Chloe are full of passion, parties, and excitement, but when the Mondays of life roll around and reality comes knocking, is there enough stability to keep their relationship afloat?
Director Argyris Papadimitropolous creates a dizzying relationship film. Papadimitropolous’ film is heavily focused on aesthetics and atmosphere (maybe more so than the script at times.) Mickey and Chloe frolic in the sunlit Grecian streets by day and go wild at parties each night, like something you would see on a Tumblr blog. They party, fight, have sex and repeat. This script becomes repetitive after a little while. I wanted to know more about them as people instead of putting them into the same scenarios over and over. The timeline of Monday can get a bit confusing considering each section of the film begins on FRIDAY, then cuts to black, and restarts on another Friday. It’s not specified how much time goes by between these sections. Is it weeks? Months? It would have been nice to have a little elaboration on that. The third act of this film is absolutely insane. I was watching in disbelief, thinking, “there’s absolutely no way any person would do this.” But I continued to watch, and they proved me wrong. The script rinses and repeats as the couple at its epicenter dive into a relationship rife with toxicity.
The entire relationship dynamic between Micky and Chloe highlights that the two have opposite personalities. Mickey is childish and unstable. Chloe is more realistic (to a certain point). Even their friend groups reflect their opposing lifestyles. I thought this aspect of the film was well done and posed some interesting questions. Opposites do often attract, but is that a good thing? And can it last? Although the relationship begins with a spark, the reality is more difficult to maintain.
There’s no denying that Sebastian Stan is very charming and that charisma is on full display in Monday. He plays the childlike Mickey with ease. The opening scenes between Mickey and Chloe show how easy it would be to fall for him. He’s fun, spontaneous, and wild. As his relationship with Chloe progresses, we see that his charm can only take him so far. His lifestyle is fun for a little bit, but it may not be sustainable long term. Mickey has some deep-seated issues that need to be addressed before he can be emotionally available in a relationship.
Denise Gough gives a great performance as Chloe, a woman trying to determine what to do with her future. She’s stuck in the “weekend” phase of life as she tries to decide if she should return to America or stay in Greece. Meeting Mickey pretty much decides for her when she gets caught in the whirlwind of their chaotic relationship. Gough and Stan portray the honeymoon phase of a relationship that slowly treads into toxic territory, inching towards all-out manic codependency.
Monday is a dizzying exploration of a tumultuous romance with a fiery spark that darkens when the real world creeps in. Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough give impressive performances, but the repetitive script structure and bizarre third act get in the way of making this a great film.
My Rating: 6/10