I was 16 in 1988. I do remember seeing this film and falling for Sean Bean. I kept away from him and his movies for a few years and recently have started collecting his movies - I had to have this gem in my collection. Will Sean Bean live? You'll have to watch the film - I won't give spoil the fun. The movie is well worth watching if you are into film-noir. It's one of the better crime films to come out of the 1980s. Good to see this one again all these years later. 9/10

The plot may be standard issue and the characters might be more archetypes than actual people, but this movie is great to look at, with some fine editing, and an abundance of neon-drenched, rain soaked style. It's 80's neo-noir and works tremendously.

Slow moving but stylishly photographed crime drama that some might call noir. Seems an American businessman short on ethics (Jones) wants to clear the way for a mall or some such project by buying out a resistant British pub owner (Sting). Plus, Jones doesn't care if it takes strong-arm tactics to finish the deal. Short of violence, however, Jones hires a frizzy haired waitress (Giffith) to smooth the deal, if possible. Meanwhile she gets mixed up with a handsome toilet cleaner (Bean), who gets rewarded by his employer Sting for passing along overheard information about Jones' nefarious plans. All in all, it's sometimes hard to follow the plot because of the slow paced intervals, especially the extended love scenes.Happily, however, the eye is entertained even when the story drags out. Then too, I can't help thinking there's a subtextual message lurking in the narrative. Namely, an allegory about aggressive American business interests moving into Great Britain. Note that it's officially American Week (or something like it) in Newcastle, so there's the general idea of a British welcome even if Jones is exploiting it for selfish purposes. Nonetheless, there's a British triumph of sorts when Jones goes home empty-handed and the pub remains in British hands. Perhaps something like this is implied by the focus on an American coming to England, but not respecting its laws.Anyway, the movie is not without its positives (atmosphere, mainly), but frankly I was yearning for the classic noir style of tight script, fast action, and double-crossing dames. So this 1988 entry may amount to a matter of taste for fans of noir.

First-time director Mike Figgis wrote the script and composed the score for this wonderfully atmospheric thriller that's set in his hometown of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The action takes place predominantly in the Quayside area where the large number of restaurants, bars and clubs ensure that the nightlife is always vibrant, even at a time when the northeast of England is experiencing a period of economic decline. The events that take place in this environment involve conflict, romance and violence and four diverse characters whose paths cross and lead to a series of surprising consequences.Newcastle's annual "America Week" is a colourful celebration of all things American (with flags, majorettes and a giant inflatable Pepsi bottle in the middle of one of the city's roundabouts) and also, significantly, it acts as a vehicle for attracting much-needed investment into the area. Brendan (Sean Bean) is a young jazz fan who's in need of a job and so, when he sees that there's a vacancy for a cleaner at a local jazz club, he applies immediately. Finney (Sting), who's the owner of "The Key Club" is surprised at Brendan's interest in the job and takes him on as a cleaner and driver.Cosmo (Tommy Lee Jones) is a Texan businessman with big plans for redeveloping the Quayside and to this end, wants to persuade Finney to sell his club. The local council are keen to support the project and Cosmo has a track record of using whatever method of persuasion is most effective to achieve his aims. His relationship with Kate (Melanie Griffith) is based on her effectiveness in using her charms to win over the support of men in influential positions to ensure that when important decisions are made, they go Cosmo's way.Brendan and Kate accidentally walk into each other in a shopping mall and by coincidence, meet again in Weegee's Café where Kate works as a waitress. When Brendan's eating his meal, he overhears two men at a nearby table discussing their plan to visit Finney to threaten him or even possibly kill him. Brendan arranges to meet Kate after she finishes work and they go to Hopper's Bar together. Brendan tells Finney what he overheard at Weegee's and so, when two vicious thugs visit the club owner and begin to threaten him, the way that he deals with the situation comes as a major surprise to them and also acts as a form of education for the naïve Brendan. Brendan and Kate fall in love and find themselves caught up in the middle of the struggle between Cosmo and Finney which inevitably ends in further violence and tragedy.The exquisite visual style of this movie with its noirish lighting etc contributes significantly to its mood which is often melancholic, unsettling and haunting and many of the shots are beautifully set up. One such example is the view through the window of Hopper's Bar at about closing time which is strongly evocative of Edward Hopper's "Nighthawks" (1942). The presence of a café that's decorated with pictures by tabloid photographer Arthur "Weegee" Fellig is also inspired as it adds character to the place and acknowledges the talent of the man who provided the inspiration for Joe Pesci's character in "The Public Eye" (1992).Some fine performances ensure that all four of the main characters in "Stormy Monday" make a strong impression. Cosmo is actually a gangster involved in a money-laundering exercise and Tommy Lee Jones is convincingly ruthless as the forceful criminal who totally underestimates Finney. Sting is suitably low-key in his portrayal of the laconic club owner and Sean Bean makes the unassuming Brendan a likable person with a lot to learn. Kate is deeply troubled, doesn't sleep well and wants to get away from her past. Melanie Griffith does extraordinarily well in this role projecting Kate's unusual mixture of toughness and vulnerability in a way that's both powerful and sympathetic.Bizarrely, for reasons explained in the story, an avant-garde group of Polish musicians called "The Krakow Jazz Ensemble" find themselves featured in the America Week celebrations. They provide some of the film's most humorous moments which ironically add to the poignancy of what happens in the movie's climax. More predictably though, the Otis Redding and B.B.King tracks featured are sensational and a perfect fit for this immensely enjoyable romantic thriller.