Los Lunes al Sol (Fernando León de Aranoa, 2002)

Situationally in some ways a precursor of 2007's Couscous, Mondays in the Sun revolves around a group of laid-off shipyard workers meeting nightly in a bar to mull over their predicament and rail against the system that led them to it. Javier Bardem, as their ringleader of sorts, is a melange of wounded angry pride and skirt-chasing posturing, whilst the others struggle with their lack of opportunities, collapsing marriages and incipient alcoholism. The tone is bitter-sweetly comic at times, without choking the moments of pathos that arise. It might be seen as a Spanish foray into Ken Loach territory in that aspect, even without the political subtext. No surprises, but Bardem is colossal, as always.

6/10