Sting returns to his roots in the stylish 1988 British film-noir 'Stormy Monday'. Set and filmed in his home town of Newcastle, Sting unearths his native Geordie accent to play the jazz club owner, Finney, in a coolly restrained performance that many consider his finest. It's 'America Week' in 'Stormy Monday's' Newcastle, and garish stars and stripes imagery has invaded Tyneside under the orchestration of exploitative American businessman Frank Cosmo (Tommy Lee Jones). While Finney tries to fight off Cosmo's corrupt manipulations to acquire and redevelop his property and intertwining underdog love affair develops between Finney's janitor, Brendan (Sean Bean) and a downtrodden American "associate" of Cosmo's named Kate (Melanie Griffith in her trademark role as a streetwise coquette). Sting was not the only Newcastle native involved in 'Stormy Monday'. The picture marked the feature film directional debut of Mike Figgis, a fellow Geordie who also shares with Sting a musical past. Figgis who penned 'Stormy Monday's' moody jazz score, along with it's script, used to play with Brian Ferry in a local Newcastle band called the Gas Board, which performed in some of the same venues as the pre-Police Sting. Indeed, 'Stormy Monday' offers its share of aural pleasures to accent the widely praised visual style created by Figgis and cinematographer Roger Deakins. The Krakow Jazz Ensemble lend a light hearted touch throughout the movie, and Finney caught in a lonely moment on stage, fingers a sensual bass solo to his otherwise empty club.
All This Time CD-ROM