Dev Patel’s directorial debut opens with a tight shot of a woman’s face basked in light as she recites the legendary tale of Hanuman, the Hindu deity, to her son. It becomes abundantly obvious from these opening moments that this film will be an exercise in myth building. It is not, however, very obvious in how it will go about said myth building.
Monkey Man unfolds as a sort of film in two parts. The first part is about a young man with an undeterred motivation for self-satisfaction. The second part allows him to represent a movement and cause larger than himself.
In a world where it seems like there is an increased proliferation of revenge movies, Monkey Man could have easily fallen into an extremely formulaic and otherwise conventional action thriller. But instead of just putting a slight twist on a fan favorite genre, Patel made a film entirely of his own flavor.
Patel’s directorial sensibilities are a bit more eclectic than I would have imagined. Although his acting choices have always been intriguing and challenging, I didn’t expect this film to be much more than something to dub as an “Indian John Wick”. It was a pleasant surprise to have my unfair preconceived notions be proven wrong.
The action sequences in Monkey Man do not follow much of a blueprint. They are presented in messy closeups that match the unforgiving intensity of the fights themselves. Although the stunt work here is exceptional, the purpose of the fight scenes is not to highlight the brilliance of their work. Every fight is a reflection of, or peak into the psyche of our main character (more on him later) and his journey.
One of the best explosions of violence features one of the most brutality inventive kills I’ve ever witnessed in a film. At times the violence and fighting seems unfocused, sloppy, and perhaps a bit indecipherable, but it is always undeniably intentional.
Monkey Man is far from a slick film about a skilled assassin who masterfully mows down henchmen on his way to confronting the head honcho who betrayed. It’s about a young man who can’t shake the childhood trauma inflicted on him by some pretty despicable people. As he progresses on his journey of self-realization, the clarity of the action becomes more honed in, as does his purpose.
Which finally brings us to our protagonist. Dev Patel not only directs Monkey Man, but also stars in it as Kid/Bobby/Monkey Man (holy crap – he co-wrote it too). After the opening scene introducing us to young Kid with his mother, we pick up with him years later in an underground bareknuckle fighting ring of sorts. We then follow as he plots to get employed by the very folks who ruined. Infiltrating their operation from the inside (as a line cook), working his way up the ladder until he is close enough to strike.
The excitement of watching this story unfold is in realizing that Kid does not have some extensively laid out plan. He has a general idea of what he wants to do and the sheer force of will to make it happen. His determination is admirable, despite it not always being clear where it might take him next.
The film’s set up does prime the audience to expect Kid’s story to mirror that of Hanuman’s. I must willingly admit that I had no previous knowledge of Hanuman or his tale. I suspect many members of Monkey Man’s predominantly Western audience are similarly ignorant. However, Patel and co-writers Paul Angunawela and John Collee, provide enough insight for newcomers to follow the connective tissue of the characters’ mythic journeys.
By the end, as Kid fulfills his prophetic calls, it is slightly uncertain how he should be viewed. Is he vindicated for avenging his past transgressions? Has he become a great liberator for underrepresented and marginalized communities? Was he guilty of becoming that which he sought to destroy?
The moral ambiguities provide Monkey Man with a rich thematic layering to pair nicely with the exhilarating excitement of its action.
Alongside the star power of Dev Patel in front of the camera, and the intrigue of his directorial debut, Monkey Man entices due to the Jordan Peele/Monkey Paw Productions stamp of approval. Peele’s involvement in any project automatically increases the stock of its social capital, and as producer here once again shows why he’s one of the most trusted names in Hollywood.
The film also boasts an incredibly talented cast and list of contributors behind the camera. Pitobosh, Vipin Sharma, and Sikandar Kher are all stellar in their supporting roles, and Sharlto Copley makes an appearance as the obligatory scummy white guy character. Monkey Man is edited with hectic clarity, shot with urgent consideration, and features needle drops that are both slick and playful.
Patel clearly has great admiration for his Indian heritage. It’s delightful to see it on full display here without any compromise for broader appeal, nor with any overly deferential treatment of the film’s influences.
Monkey Man is uniquely Patel’s. A testament to his creative vision. And a damn good time at the cinema.
