American mobster chic invades the land of Newkie Brown in writer/director Mike Figgis' mean, moody and mainly mediocre 1988 British gangster drama. More Wet than Stormy, Monday sees well-meaning janitor Sean Bean becoming embroiled in a Tyneside turf war involving local jazz nightclub owner Sting, visiting American businessman Tommy Lee Jones and one of the Yank's molls, Melanie Griffith. The familiar set-up allows Figgis' feature debut to slowly hit all the usual genre targets and deliver an ominous atmosphere along with gritty lead performances. It's all just about enough to hold you captive for 90 minutes, but anyone expecting explosive action in the bloody vein of The Long Good Friday will be left disappointed.
DVD Extras:
The DVD boasts a new director's chat-track that's more engaging than the actual movie, with Figgis proudly addressing everything from the film's biographical elements to Jones' prickly behaviour. Disappointingly, though, the only other extra is a drizzly theatrical trailer.
