Mickey (Sebastian Stan) and Chloe (Denise Gough), two Americans in their mid-thirties living in Athens, meet in the heat of summer one whirlwind weekend. The chemistry between them is undeniable. When Chloe’s time in Greece is drawing to a close, she decides to give up her high-flying job back home and explore whether one weekend’s passion can blossom into something more. Argyris Papadimitropoulos’ follow up of the festival sensation Suntan is a fun, sensuous romance about how love gets in the way of life, and life gets in the way of love.
For thoughts on Monday, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Monday comes to Blu-Ray with a dazzling AVC encoded 1080p transfer that showcases the look of the film very well. The picture throughout is mostly clear with only brief instances of murkiness during a few of the party scenes which presumably aims to mirror the dwindling sobriety. Although, a handful of shadow-heavy scenes could be slightly more sharp. Black levels are admirable but could stand to be a bit deeper. Skin tones are natural throughout with some impeccable details present in certain shots. As these two bask in the sun, they often find themselves covered in perspiration which this transfer brings out in textured detail.
Where the transfer stands out is the impressive level of detail both in the production design and the locations. Everything from the fibers of the sofa to the ripples of some blouses is quite impressive. The cinematography features vibrant pops of color in this dazzling locale. The environment itself provides natural wonder that you want to witness in high definition. Overall, this is quite an impressive transfer that should satisfy anyone who checks it out.
Audio Quality
The film comes with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that has quite a bit of nuance and power throughout. The groovy music of the soundtrack maintains a nice fidelity so that nothing ever feels lacking. Environmental sounds of the city are important to the experience, and this track brings these elements to life quite capably. The use of the rear channels to create a fully immersive world works quite well. The directionality is very precise so sounds always present as natural when coming from their respective points.
Most notably, the dialogue comes through crisp and clear without being overwhelmed by any of the other sounds. Even in the most chaotic environments, you never fail to understand what is being conveyed. Activity in the low end is effective when it comes to the music but otherwise subtle and mostly used to add a bit of texture to some of the more kinetic moments. RLJE Films has delivered a top-notch track for this film. This disc includes English SDH subtitles.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this disc.
Final Thoughts
Monday is a film featuring two compelling lead performances, but there is not enough to the narrative to make it feel essential. It is fun to witness two incredibly attractive people navigate the ups and downs of a burgeoning relationship, but the script at hand here is mostly surface level with the performers making up for some of the deficits in the material. Most of the attention will be focused on Sebastian Stan due to his popularity elsewhere, but you would be remiss if you did not likewise praise the fearless performance from Denise Gough. RLJE Films has released a Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. If you are a fan of the talent involved, or simply love to watch two beautiful people be in various states of undress with one another, you should not be too disappointed.
Monday is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: RLJE Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.