Monday (2000)

Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!

Best movie ever!

Too much about the plot just didn't add up, the writing was bad, some of the scenes were cringey and awkward,

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

This film that opened the Sabu retrospective at New York's Japan Society and was a real blast.Sabu's fourth film is a kick in the pants. It's a film that starts off with a salary man waking up in a hotel room, unsure of how he got there. He then begins to remember back... it started at the funeral...moved on the bar....then continued on past the Yakuza...I've already told you too much because as with all of Sabu's films, the plot isn't the point, its the connections to the things we don't realize that are important. I don't want to say anything about what happens but the funeral becomes one of the funniest ever put on screen and the dancing puts to shame the much heralded Tavolta/Thurmond pairing in Pulp Fiction.I really like this movie a great deal. I suspect that it's going to hang with me for a few days before I can really find out how I feel about it. Its a film that has lots of stuff going on behind it's eyes as it were.If you can find a copy or see it at some screening I suggest you do so. Its further proof that Sabu is one the best filmmakers working today.

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.

I've seen this movie several times. But My favorite scenes are the ones at the .Funeral(Exploding corpse), and two bar scenes (Fortune teller, woman in white, no hands peeing, twist/ seductive slow dancing, and a bunch of yakuza).And although Takagi's(Shuichi Tsutumi) life goes a little South in the later part of the movie , I kind of wished for a better fate for him in spite of the four murders he committed(face it ,the first two were accidents). He could have ran off with either the Yakuza girl or something. Anyhow,if this were a normal movie, it probably would not been produced by Sabu(Hiroyuki Tanaka)Also of note in the music. No where does a funky song feel so out of place as in the scenes at the first bar where Takagi meets the Yakuza sexpot (I feel like I wanna get down!!!).But is it really out of place ? Can a straight laced Japanese character be able to get down with his bad self? For the uninitiated, check out the movie and see!!!

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!