Mickey and Chloe have an incredible, immediate connection. Within seconds of meeting each other at a wild party, they're making out; by the next morning, they're waking up next to each other naked on a beach. There's no denying their chemistry. But how long does that last?
That's the question posed in "Monday," as in the inevitable mundane Monday that comes after a hedonistic Friday. The movie unfolds over a series of Fridays as Mickey and Chloe attempt to settle into a groove. Is there really something there worth preserving, or are they forever chasing that Friday night high?
As the two lovers, Sebastian Stan and Denise Gough make it a question worth exploring. The two actors have a spark between them that carries the film even as it enters bumpy terrain.
Stan's Mickey is a DJ and a jingle writer, hanging on to the party life and shirking responsibility well into his 30s, while Gough's Chloe is an immigration lawyer who was on her way back to the U.S. from Greece before Stan stopped her at the airport with an over-the-top, rom-com-style display of affection. It's cute, but wouldn't Chloe know better than to fall for it?
Co-writer and director Argyris Papadimitropoulos captures the intoxicating feeling of love (or at least lust) at first sight, as well as the hardships of trying to make that feeling last. In "Monday," there are a few too many red flags: Chloe is seemingly level-headed, and should be able to see through Mickey's immaturity, especially when it's revealed he has a son that he never sees because it would interrupt his relatively carefree lifestyle.
But then again, love rarely makes a whole lot of sense. "Monday" does an effective job of putting viewers in the headspace of two star struck lovers. Even when your head knows better, the heart doesn't always follow. It's as predictable as the Monday morning that follows the Friday night.
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'MONDAY'
GRADE: B-
Rated: R (for sexual content, nudity/graphic nudity, drug use and pervasive language)
Running time: 1 hour, 56 minutes
Playing: In limited theatrical release; available on digital and VOD
