Miss Monday

happened on this film by accident, and was drawn in totally, though at first I had no idea what it was about. think of it as a voyeurism of a lonely "professional" woman's soul. Moving, unforgettable.see it.

What lies behind closed doors? Or what lurks in the deepest and darkest reaches of our souls? This is exactly what MISS MONDAY tries to explore; the guinea pig? A ‘high flying' executive named Gloria, played by the very able Andrea Hart.

After the initial preliminaries, the movie finally kicks off, as a screenwriter (James Hicks) finds himself fumbling for words and inspiration to depict a leading character (Marianne) of his script. Hence, on the advice of his mentor, Hicks decides to actually ‘observe' a real-life person resembling his script-character, whom he feels could inspire him into writing his ‘Marianne' with much less difficulty.

So, the screenwriter decides to become a scientist and sneaks his way into Miss. Gloria's abode to study his subject and learn her ways and mannerisms. Until this point the script looks goofy and awkward. But then we get to see one of the finest acting performances by Andrea Hart, as she unfolds the middle-aged, single, ambitious executive Miss. Gloria's inner sanctum, which is otiose, dismal and sorry; much in contradiction to her alter persona that the outside world is conversant with.

Hart's brilliant acting performance comes in during the time when the movie is almost dialogue-less. The way she limns the disturbed and insecure side of an otherwise uncompromising and demanding woman, is scary, especially because it is so lifelike. Forget the direction, forget the script, forget the supporting cast; MISS MONDAY is all about Hart's memorable performance, cap-a-pie.

MISS MONDAY is truly indie. Though the story seems unrealistic, the direction and the performance are natural. There is nothing flashy about MISS MONDAY. With everything else restricted to the bare minimum, the movie is left in the hands of the performance of the cast, especially that of Andrea Hart. Andrea delivers, and delivers generously. Watch the movie and be shocked and spellbound, alike.

RATING: 8/10

Miss Monday is a disturbingly intelligent look at the pains of life that exist behind closed doors. What plays as a stalker/voyeur film turns into a startling and significant realization about the pain and suffering many people endure and hide from the world. The film is as honest and painful as one might hope when indulging into the core of its voyeur's subject.

A tasteful resurrection of a lost generation of Progressive Independent Filmmakers and Storyliners who realise the importance of fusion in all aspects of Film-making systems. Comedy clashes with Self-Inflicted Cruelty. A thinking flick designed to manufacture further meditation on the subject matter. Who are these guys and when do I get to see this Film again? (Only showing in Hawaii: Hawaii International Spring Film Festival) Aloha

Up and coming writer Roman (James Hicks) is struggling to come up with the goods for his serious social drama based upon the high flying independent career woman. In London's Financial District, known as The City, he can find his answers, in search for his real life Marianne for his screenplay "Miss Monday", he goes undercover, and with borrowed suit and briefcase, he takes on the role of a City employee, scouting, listening and investigating for that all-important breakthrough.

What he finds is something more incomprehensible, more bizarre and intriguing. While gaining access to Miss Mondays, aka Gloria, home, researching then takes on a completely new perspective, caught in the middle of his meddling for background information, unexpectedly, she returns home early, Roman is trapped. He hides. He observes. He learns.

This is where Miss Mondays second act starts to take a different role from lighthearted humour to dark sided concern, a woman with potential, with ambition and vision. That is what we are led to believe from this busy modern independent woman, from the external persona she gives us. There is more afoot here than Roman could have possibly imagined, a woman, a frustrated woman, a martyred woman, a cheated woman and an overlooked woman in both her career and life, this is the real world that Roman's Miss Monday exists, an unhappy woman.

Haunted by her own personal Bogeyman, and hidden demons, Gloria and her private and personal secrets, unbeknown to her, are slowly unravelled before our eyes. Her angst and desperation of coming to terms with her childhood, her career, her age and her life is beautifully dealt with, with great pains, this woman is more than a little perplexed and lost, like the ghosts of her past, they have come back to haunt her.

Done with tenderness and soft pummelling that gives us a view of human torment and how when one stumbles across it can inevitably change our outlook on how we should see others and not judge them so quickly. Roman has learnt this valuable lesson well, too well. Can he ever look anyone in the eye again and say he knows them proper? Has this shocking experience opened his eyes and given him vision that goes beyond ignorance and prejudice?

The style of movie making here, as with writing and production, is done Toronto born Benson Lee no harm whatsoever, winner of the Special Jury Prize of the 1998 Sundance Film Festival for the acting abilities for Andrea Hart and nominated by the Grand Jury Prize for Benson Lee too. St. Louis International Film Festival during 1998 gave this imaginative director the Emerging Filmmaker Award and too nominated by the Independent Spirit Awards for Andrea Hart's Best Debut Performance. With interesting editing by Tula Goenka, Emily Gumpel and Robert Tate and with the use of its music, both classical and original, Miss Monday is as highly independent in its concept as it is in its delivery of this personal and tragic saga.

Poor Roman may have writers block but Miss Monday is a highly imaginative and entertaining made movie, it really is a shame that it has not, as it should rightfully be, more appreciated to a wider audience, both for its originality and for its understanding of the complex and fragile human psyche.