Mondays in the Sun
Mondays in the Sun
| 19 January 2003 (USA)
Mondays in the Sun Trailers

After the closure of their shipyard in Northern Spain, a few former workers: Santa, José, Lino, Amador, Sergei and Reina keep in touch. They meet mainly at a bar owned by their former colleague Rico. Santa is the most superficially confident and unofficial leader of the group. A court case hangs over him relating to a shipyard lamp he smashed during a protest against the closure. José is bitter that his wife, Ana, is employed when he is not.

Reviews
Matcollis This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.
Colibel Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.
Ketrivie It isn't all that great, actually. Really cheesy and very predicable of how certain scenes are gonna turn play out. However, I guess that's the charm of it all, because I would consider this one of my guilty pleasures.
Lidia Draper Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.
paulijcalderon Friendship is important. Especially to the characters in this film. They may not be wealthy or have good job. But they have each other and that's all that matters to them. This is a story of the lives of a few friends in Spain and their struggle with unemployment.Everything about it felt realistic and down to Earth. The dialogue was full of funny banters and snappy answers. It's an optimistic yet at the same time a tragic story. The emotions are all balanced very well. The actors all do a fantastic jobs, especially Bardem (which goes without saying, it's to be expected). Although it's not just his show, everyone has a moment to shine.If you like realistic dramas were there's nothing too complicated going or if you're just a fan of Neorealism, then I would recommend this one for you.
Pablo "Los lunes al sol" premise may not be enough to some in order to make a great movie: a movie that just shows us the everyday lives of a group of unemployed. It's also a great tale of friendship, as we see how this group of friends stay together to overcome the difficulties that arise from the closure of the shipyards.The movie isn't political or tries to be confrontational; it's focus on the human lives involved make it a profoundly human story. The acting really helps in this aspect. It is natural and simple, but in a good way- we're dealing with a totally (but sadly) normal situation here. "Los lunes al sol" shows us that it's not needed a disaster or anything big to tell us a great story. It can be, instead, a simple one. Simple, but told and acted emotively. It may tend to be slow-paced sometimes, but it's a must see nonetheless, as this makes you thankful for what you have and for the ones around you.
lastliberal It is not hard to say a movie is great when it has won 37 awards, and has another 18 nominations. The greatness of this movie is hardly disputed.But will you like it? Sadly, most will not because it is a depressing subject. You certainly don't go looking for entertainment in a movie about unemployment.That's too bad, because you will miss an outstanding performance by Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Before Night Falls, Mar adentro), and a great story that will certainly touch the lives of everyone who sees it.Santa (Bardem) and his pals Jose (Luis Tosar) and Lino (José Ángel Egido) congregate in a makeshift bar run by another friend, Rico (Joaquín Climent). Here they philosophize and console one another after they all have been laid off from a shipyard that closed.We follow them as their marriages become strained or fall apart. One commits suicide and another dies his hair and borrows his son's clothing in an attempt to compete with men half his age. Alcohol is consumed in copious amounts to dull the pain that, because of being unemployed, they are no longer men.This is not just a Spanish dilemma, it is also played out right here in America as companies move offshore. One could also consider this film highly appropriate as we are soon to decide if our country continues in this direction.Minor characters interact with the friends, but it is their closeness that is the central focus. Like Siamese twins, if one falls, they will all fall.
finitodistampare I give this movie 10 points . The director Fernando de Aranoa investigated and talked with the unemployed people he will later portrayed in his movie. I mean the stories he's telling are for real. The performances by all the actors are magical . Bardem , of course, but all the cast is at the same level . The dialogues are so well written , never sound contrived . One thing it's clear , this movie don't leave you untouched. Fortunately Fernando de Aranoa is always improving as his latest movie "Princesas " shows . Don't miss "Los lunes al sol " it will be worth your time to watch the cast's performance .This movie won several Goyas ( Spanish academy awards ) Very moving picture
You May Also Like