WHAT HAPPENED TO MONDAY
Sweden, 2017, 123 minutes, Colour.
Noomi Rapace, Glenn Close, Willem Dafoe, Marwan Kenzari, Christian Rubeck, Pal Sverre Hagen.
Directed by Tommy Wirkola.
Not the day of the week, but the girl called after a particular day of the week.
This is science fiction, looking ahead to 2073. The film is Swedish but has an American leading cast apart from local Noomi Rapace.
Willem Dafoe portrays a scientist, father who disobeys the law that bans the proliferation of children. He saves seven little girls, hiding them, bringing them up in secret. He names each of them after each day of the week.
As they grow older, they begin to venture out. However, they are all played by Noomi Rapace, made up to look different, clothes and hairstyle, speech and manner, for each girl. But, they all do the same job, each pretending to be the other.
As is inevitable in any human story, some attachments are made, relationships, the reality not being revealed to the others.
In the meantime, Glenn Close portrays the political power, the public face of sympathy to the public, the private face absolutely ruthless.
When the reality of the different girls is uncovered, she goes into action with her henchmen – but one of them is attached to one of the girls. There are arrests, interrogations, torture, pursuit of the girls, the killing of some of them leading up to a final confrontation with the despot.
All in all, some intriguing science fiction themes but also issues of humanity, personality, the exercise of power.
1. A futuristic film? Science fiction? 2073?
2. An international city setting, international cast and accents, the appearance of the city, the streets, the buildings, crowds? Offices? Apartments? The lavish bureau? The musical score?
3. The title, the names of the siblings, seven? The performance by Noomi Rapace in each of the roles, different looks, different aspects of character?
4. The situation, the opening and the doomed prophecies about food, desert in Latin America…? The parliaments, legislation, fears? The forbidding of siblings? Only one child, the rounding up of siblings, allegedly frozen for resuscitation in the future?
5. The laws, Nicolette Cayman, her speeches, policy, Glenn Close in the role, seeming benign, becoming more sinister? Her expressions of hope for the future? The rationale for the legislation and her behaviour?
6. Terence, at the hospital, the seven children? His naming them? The background of proliferation of births, the role of the doctor, concealment? His decision to keep them all?
7. At home, their age, growing up, his supervising their education, the different talents and personalities? Skills? Monday as the oldest? The first venturing out, the concealed cameras, the hand screens, the technology? Getting information, the girls going to school, each taking the other’s place each day? Learning, communicating? Saturday and her accident with the skateboard, cutting her finger, their father and his decision to cut Monday’s finger, the buildup, the tension, the pain, his weeping afterwards? The trauma for Monday and its influence in her life and decisions?
8. The sisters as adults, Monday going out, her composure, the guards and reassurance, the security and identification? The processes, her work, the office, her promotion, the presentation?
9. The differences for the other characters, their appearance, hair cuts, the blonde, Friday wearing glasses? Differentiation for each day?
10. Monday, strong, her disappearance and not returning, the puzzle for the other sisters, their fears? Tuesday, courage, going out as Monday, the encounters with Jerry and her puzzle, his hold over her, her being taken, interrogated, Nicolette and her severity, her lieutenant? In the cell, dressed in white, taking her eye to break through security barriers? Are Being kept as hostage?
11. The others coping with the situation, the discussions, planning strategies, demanding courage?
12. The attack in the flat, the fights, the weapons, the women using their wits, injuries, Sunday and the attack, the death?
13. Friday, the glasses, knowledge of technology, coordinating the information? House and building plans, escapes?
14. Thursday, going out, her arrest, the fight, her wits, evading the pursuers, in the building, on the roof, being urged to leap, her being shot?
15. Wednesday, blonde, the encounter with Adrian, the revelation of his relationship with Monday, his coming to the apartment, her going with him, continuing the deceit, the sexual encounter? Are Being shot? Adrian, seeing the body in the bag?
16. Saturday, the information, taking charge, with Adrian, enlisting his help, to find the truth? Friday and the records, wanting to preserve them, setting up the explosion in the apartment?
17. Nicolette, continued ruthlessness, ordering the killings? Her lieutenant and his associates, the continued pursuit, intensity, fights, shots?
18. The pursuit of Saturday, Adrian and the body bag? Going to the laboratory, seeing the staff, the machine, allegedly for freezing people? The nurse, the revelation of the destruction of the siblings?
19. The fight, discovering the truth about Monday? From the surveillance, Monday and her deals with Nicolette? The parliament, the transfer of the money, the contracts? Monday in Nicolette’s entourage? Meeting Saturday in the bathroom, the discussions, the fight, the cat finger, but each client dressed exactly the same way? Monday wanting
life, her entitlement is the oldest?
20. Nicolette, the speech, the social, the crowd, the visuals on screen, Saturday entering and sitting at the table?
21. Discovering Tuesday, Adrian, the rescue? Her working the technology? Projecting the film of the laboratory and the deaths? Nicolette and her fright, painting? Monday coming into the room, her death?
22. Saturday and Tuesday surviving, the exhibition of the damning film, the changing of the laws, allowing siblings? Adrian and his role with the sisters? The trial for Nicolette?
23. The ending, the pro-life emphasis, the range of babies being born?
24. The relevance of this kind of futuristic film for the present?
