Monday

This one is definitively stunning. I've already heard about this director, under the pseudonym "Sabu", reading some reviews about his late work "Drive" that I hope to see asap.. In fact, this is a very talented director. "Monday" is a story of mystery, misfortune, hope and strangeness. I think the comment of the director explain clearly what is really "Monday": "I've just decided to do what I wanted to do, and that was ... a comedy, an action film, a painful story, imaginary with a bit of horror and also a "dancing" film very rigorous, intransigent, with much, much, much dancing. I wanted all of these elements to be putted into this movie, I wanted that was full of cynic laughter and also to be less long than 100. I've tried and I made it!" Just watch it!

Well, I was getting myself ready to watch Brian De Palma's "Body Double" and when I pressed the play button to my surprise I wasn't watching "Body Double". I had I got the blank tapes mixed up (because they were unlabeled) and on screen was "Monday". To lazy to get up and change, I thought I might as well stick with it since I've been meaning to get around to it anyway.

A young salary man wakes up rather confusedly on a Monday morning in a hotel room. He slowly begins to remember what had happened over the weekend - where he attended a funeral, had some drinks with some mafia figures, danced around with one of their girls and finally in a drunken state of mind he murders some petty crooks. This last act has caused a real stir amongst the media with it being discussed on TV and the police have surrounded the building ready to take him into custody.

"Monday" is my second viewing of a Sabu (Japanese director / writer Hiroyuki Tanaka) film and it was another pleasant surprise, just like "Drive" (2002) was. Three things I have come to notice about his work is that his pieces are highly original, the odd sense of humour is darkly downbeat and there's an expressive message on life. This black comedy / thriller just feeds off it's cynical statement on the influence of guns in society and the power it asserts on people. It questions the morality about justice - even if you're are on the laws side and shoot someone that doesn't mean you're not a murderer. Really, are you any better because you have a badge? Even alcoholism gets a spray at. The violence is raw, but from glorified. The tense moment involving a swat team toys around this question. We even get a quick taste of the media's involvement too that really portrays the differing perception on both sides of the coin. But these serious thoughts play out more in a dreamy vibe because of all the kooky situations that occurred, strange folk he encounters and the quirky dialogue we hear. It's a more a spur-of-the-moment build up with the infectious story unfolding in non-linear narrative. That's because half the film is spent with the protagonist putting the blurry pieces together of what had happened over the weekend. Just like the main character you would like to see how this clouded chain of events eventuated and we feel every minute of his misfortunes. Shin'ichi Tsutsumi as Koichi Takagi, the salary man who gets drunk, while carrying around shotgun is superb in demonstrating flexibility in his emotions and it's hard not to feel for the guy. Director Sabu leisurely paces the film with many comic ideas, dim humour, icy scenes mixed with suspense, provocative camera shots and a spanking rock / dance soundtrack. In the end I guess you could say that was one rough weekend just waiting for the consequences (Monday) to come along.

A very glum and low-key black comedy that boldly throws up some thought-provoking scenarios in a satisfying manner.

Wakarimasen deshita....

Any Japanese movie involving alcohol, beautiful Yakuza brides and guns will be a funny ride into the Asian subconscious, and this movie is no exception.

It amalgamates plot elements such as drinking Whisky, hands-free peeing, Yakuza bashing, pacemaker bomb defusing, drinking Whisky, lynching street muggers, Devils, Sprites, an obnoxious but finally sympathetic girlfriend, drinking Whisky, Japanese twist dancing, smoke grenades, drinking Whisky, palm reading, fake laughter and moronic TV talk shows into an adventure of the absurd. A ride into the cesspools of one man's private hell. A blatant appeal against alcohol and weapon abuse, or a devilishly clever satire about modern day Japan and its underworld. Oh...and did I mention drinking Whisky?

If you're a fan of Takeshi Kitano's movie, you will like "Monday".

If you are a fan of Bruce Willis and expect a Japanese "Die Hard", you won't find it funny! But if you're open minded, can appreciate satire for what it really is, then you will enjoy this movie thoroughly!

Takagi is just an average salaryman toiling away in a dead-end job. One fateful Monday, he awakens in a strange hotel room. He has no memory of how he got there. Slowly, he begins to piece together the journey that brought him to the hotel. Takagi discovers he spent the preceding weekend on a violent, absurdist outing as bizarre as it is entertaining. The craziest part: it's not even close to being over yet.

Sabu's 'Monday' is a delightful, off-beat comedy-thriller that plays like Kafka meets Kitano. The relatively simple story- Takagi gets drunk and forgets his weekend- is one of unexpected existentialist depth. The film proceeds as if part of a waking nightmare, where one can't be sure what is really happening and what is imagined, escalating to a fever-pitch of violence and insanity. Sabu's adoption of a non-linear narrative full of flashbacks and alcohol-fuelled hallucinogenic sequences adds to this feeling of heightened unreality. Takagi's is a trip that makes William Lee's in 'Naked Lunch' look positively mundane (particularly near its' conclusion).

The cinematography from Kazuto Sato (going under the name Kazuhiko Sato at the time) is striking work that has a punk-like feel to it. His composition and framing under Sabu's direction is irregular and interesting, making for some memorable shots that are very Lynchian in style. In the latter half of the film, things get very frenetic, and Kumio Onaga's tight editing keeps 'Monday' from getting too out of hand. That said, the sudden tonal shift from dark, existentialist comedy to over-the-top, violent horror in the hindmost part of the film could have been handled in more subtle a manner.

Kenichiro Shibuya's score is unsettlingly funky, juxtaposed effectively with 'Monday's eccentric, occasionally incongruous visuals. His usage of tracks by Tatsuya Oe (better known as Captain Funk) is particularly memorable. Takagi's dance scene in a Yakuza's club is one of the most disconcerting and unforgettable of recent years, utilizing Oe's 'Twist & Shout' to great effect.

Tomoyuki Maruo's production design must also be mentioned, as it is economic, stylish work that makes a lot out of very little. The sets are decorated in an understated manner, just as the costumes are designed in a minimalist fashion. It is impressive work that makes for another significant entry in Maruo's filmography.

Shin'ichi Tsutsumi has starred in at least six of Sabu's films over the years, most recently in 'My Blood & Bones in a Flowing Galaxy' from 2020. 'Monday' may be their finest collaboration, with Tsutsumi delivering a startlingly layered and highly entertaining performance as Takagi. Bordering on delirium borne from alcoholism, Takagi is an intense and wacky character that requires the actor playing him be willing to go to some strange places, performance-wise. Tsutsumi proves to be the right man for the job, bringing to the role levity, bravery and emotional range. It is a powerful piece of acting that will be remembered fondly by any who see 'Monday.'

The supporting cast is filled with talented actors, including the late Ren Ôsugi and the great Susumu Terajima. Though they all have relatively little to do, everyone performs admirably, with a couple being particularly memorable. Akira Yamamoto stars as a dispirited Yakuza boss who befriends Takagi and he has a commanding, introverted screen presence that suits the character most aptly. Yasuko Matsuyuki stars as the Yakuza's moll, and has similar presence that says much without her having to utter a word.

Sabu's 'Monday' is a strange, fun film that is an existential trip through a nightmarish landscape of violence and drunkenness. Unpredictable, often hilarious and occasionally too frantic for its own good, the film is anything but ordinary. Featuring a compelling lead performance from Shin'ichi Tsutsumi and a great score from Kenichiro Shibuya, it's a very memorable and outlandish piece of work. In short- to paraphrase The Bangles- Sabu's film is a lot more than just another manic 'Monday.'

Salaryman Takagi wakes up fully clothed in an anonymous business hotel and attempts to recall how he got there. A series of flashbacks reveal how the events that led him to this place escalated out of control. As the audience is drip-fed information on Takagi's weekend from hell, a series of hilarious set pieces ensues, along with a stinging social commentary of Japan's repressed, alcohol-dependent work-obsessed culture.

Tsutsumi is masterful as the mouse that roars, ranging from cowardly in a bar scene where he opts to drink down a fag dowt, to darkly heroic in his execution of an out-of-control chinpira and his moll. The supporting cast give strong performances, especially Yasuko Matsuyuki as a femme fatal, seducing Takagi like a siren call to hell. Interestingly, Matsuyuki does not have one line in the film, but is a clearly defined character. Character actors such as the ubiquitous Naomi Nishida shine in their epigrammatic appearances.

The film will have you smiling in memory of many scenes long after viewing. Takagi writing his will, prolonging the moment, was dryly amusing. Tsutumi's dance in the yakuza bar is simply hilarious. The final third, unfortunately, drags on far too long, as Sabu's sensibilities and timing seem to fail him. The moment is somewhat redeemed by the 'reveal' that is has all been a daydream, but that final stand-off flags and ultimately spoils what was shaping up to be a perfect film.

Not perfect then, but better than most. The first ten minutes, especially, are a masterclass in the set-up area of screen writing. Numerous questions are posed in the sequence, with the pay-offs arriving as the film progresses. For anyone interested in contemporary Japanese fimmaking, this is simply unmissable.