The Girl From Monday: Grade A

A

The Girl From Monday

Bill Sage, Sabrina Lloyd, Tatiana Abracos; Director=Hal Hartley

A sci-fi story, set in the future, when a giant marketing monopoly has taken over the country (or is it the world?). They monitor every citizen’s impulses then create products and services to satisfy them. Independent thinkers, the bright and curious, are weeded out early. Immigrants from outer space try to rebel against the system. The story is very similar to Godard’s 1965 “Alphaville,” and themes from “The Fifth Element” are borrowed, along with “Splash” – an alien woman (from the ocean) has to learn earth culture quickly by watching TV. Bill Sage looks like a young Robert Redford, and the two main women look like young Genvieve Bujold (high forehead, eyes low on the head, disappearing nose, small chin). So all in all, the movie is an unoriginal pastiche. Still, it’s an engaging story, good social satire, humorous script, good acting, fantastic, dreamlike photography, and interesting music. Those features overcome its lack of originality.