It is early morning, and a group of men sit on a ferry in Spain on their way to search for jobs. They are doing the same thing they have been doing since they were laid off at the shipyard.
\Mondays in the Sun"" is a film much like an emotional roller coaster. The film takes viewers through the lives of Santa, (Javier Bardem) Paulino (Jos?? ??ngel Egido) and Jos?? (Luis Tosar) who fought in vain for their jobs in violent demonstrations at the shipyard. Santa has high hopes for his future even though he owes 8,000 pesetas for breaking a street lamp. He cannot manage to find a job despite his best efforts. His dreams of a lavish lifestyle remain unattainable.
Paulino goes to interview after interview, seeking to impress employers but getting no results. Meanwhile, Jos??'s wife works to support him while he also looks for a job. Jos??, in turn, feels inadequate and tries to fix his situation the best he can. Ana and Jos??'s struggle in their relationship ends up being a central theme in the film and adds to the overall emotional appeal.
Since finding new jobs proves so fruitless for the men, they spend their days critiquing soccer games and relentlessly talking to each other while drinking at their friend's bar. Ironically enough, the bar's name is ""The Shipyard,"" which pokes fun at their troubling economic situations.
While Santa remains hopeful for a life opposite of the one he is living, his cynical attitude continually shines through in the many bar scenes. His raw outlook on people in powerful positions and individual rights comes across with a harsh reality. There is no doubt that Bardem's acting leads this film.
Though the numerous obstacles that the characters face seem to become more and more depressing as the story develops, ""Mondays in the Sun"" is still not without a sense of humor. In fact, the men frequently use their situation to have a little fun. One such scene involves a ferry-stealing adventure in which the men go to scatter their friend's ashes, where they somehow misplace. Most of the humor throughout the film has an ironic air of this sort.
The key theme of this film is the banding together of friends who all struggle for the same goal, to win back their pride that was unceremoniously taken away from them when they lost their jobs.
""Mondays in the Sun"" offers thought-provoking dialogue and a story of struggle to which most people can relate. In the end, it just goes to show that people overcoming seemingly impossible hardships makes for a good story.
