Search - Monday Morning on DVD

Voyage to recapture lost beauty

R. Swanson | New Mexico | 07/21/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a beautifully photographed view of a man in mid-life, who lives in
the French countryside, with his wife, two sons and aged mother. Every morning he drives his dusty old car to the park-n-ride, hops a bus which takes him to his job as a welder in a chemical factory. At night he comes back to what could be a bucolic scene, with lush greenery, kids on bikes, chickens and goats and a beautiful old church, but he's met by silence and indifference from all the family. The only kindness shown to him is by his very old mother and her friends. His kids ignore him, his wife only complains about the leaking roof and clogged gutters. People don't connect. His only joy is his painting, in the few hours he can snatch away for himself... and his affection for cigarettes and liquor.

One Monday morning, as he is about to snuff out his cigarette before entering the factory, he decides not to...and takes off. He visits his father who gives him some money and tells him to see the world. He goes to Venice, where he meets his Italian counterpart, another would-be romantic, with an angry wife and a set of daughters, who also has to disappear, on his Monday morning, behind the grim iron gates of his factory.

There is very little dialogue and some patience is required to stick with the film, especially in the beginning. It is told with humor, restraint, style and certainly a great feeling for what's important in life. It's definitely low-key and some folks will love it while others will be bored silly. The settings are lovely, both in France and Italy, which mitigate the emotional bleakness of the story.

I won't spoil the ending for you. It's a lovingly shown voyage of a man who's looking for the lost beauty in his life. Follow along with him and see where it leads."