Monkey Man

After an almost year-long hiatus (whoops), I feel compelled to come back to share my thoughts on a film that recently came out. That sounds incredibly pretentious but Dev Patel's directorial debut "Monkey Man" is not only probably a top 5 movie of the year, but I find it to also be a glimmer of hope in a seemingly morbid time in cinema. While the narrative seems to be shifting, over the past decade we've seen critiques and complaints of the state of modern-day filmmaking. Passion projects seem to be a dime-a-dozen with most high-production films moving away from original IP or being corrupted by money-hungry studio executives. Monkey Man is very much not that.

While not in that "A-List" actor list in terms of fame, Dev Patel is fairly well known for movies like Slumdog Millionaire, the (criminally underrated) Green Knight, and the notoriously horrendous Last Airbender live-action movie. The trailer for Monkey Man caught my eye a few days after its release and I was immediately enraptured. It was one of the few times I showed my parents a movie trailer and while their enthusiasm did not match mine, my unadulterated joy could not be deterred. At the surface, it did seem like a now well-known style of action movie that is dubbed "John Wick but ____" however the difference for me was the representation. Coming from an Indian household, I was blessed to be exposed to the world of Bollywood. Movies are known for being imbued with passion, culture, and music, and their ability to transport you into a place of whimsy and melodrama for 3 hours, Bollywood is the biggest film industry in the world yet seems to have never really made its way into the mainstream Hollywood environment. Although having the biggest population in the world, India always seemed to have a lack of representation in Western Media or one that was heavily stereotyped at the very least. This is what made Monkey Man such an exciting prospect. A film made by an Indian, starring primarily all Bollywood or Indian actors, set entirely in India with a plot based on Indian mythology produced by arguably one of the most talented modern directors we have working today in Jordan Peele is exactly the representation we needed. Although my expectations were very high, somehow Monkey Man met and exceeded them.

Those who say this is just an "Indian John Wick" are providing an unfair description that is very surface-level to a film with this much depth. The biggest comparison to John Wick is the film's innovative and intensely brutal action sequences. From biting off noses to a rickshaw chase sequence, the dynamic camera movement and well-choreographed action sequences are worth seeing this film on the biggest screen possible. The integration of the score, a hybrid of Bollywood and hip-hop, gives each action set piece some additional depth and excitement that would appeal to both Indian and non-Indian viewers alike. I mean who knew an axe battle while "Ooh La La" is playing would make for one of the most fun action sequences in the 21st century.

As mentioned, the biggest pull in a Bollywood film is the immersion, a quality Dev Patel clearly grasps as for the entire 2-hour run time the audience is pulled into this grimy Gotham-esque portrayal of India and they can't leave. The portrayal of India is very critical on multiple levels of the political and socio-economic state of the country. While the critique is not very subtle, the lack of discussion regarding how religion, class, and politics are corrupting the largest democracy in the world is not known or brought up in the West nearly enough. Even as someone who is not as informed on India as I would like to be, the film's commentary and portrayal of the stark class difference in India is one that I found to be very compelling.

The action and setting work so well almost entirely due to Dev Patel's direction. As opposed to going for a surface-layer, faux-artistic directorial approach, Patel's style can only be described as passionate and frantic. His direction and acting as the lead are really the pieces that bring the entire film together whether that's through close-ups on satisfying hits, unbroken long takes, or even a shift to a first-person POV the camera movement and direction are always fresh. Some critics have complained about the "shaky cam", a plague that has corrupted many action films, yet in Monkey Man it shockingly works well with the adrenaline-fuelled and gritty narrative Patel is going for. Even though the plot isn't anything new, the originality of the execution, particularly in how the story mirrors Hindu mythology allows audiences to remain engaged with the material for the entire runtime. Sikander Kher as one of the antagonists gives arguably his best performance to date bringing a sinister and detestable performance as the corrupt police chief which is the object of Patel's revenge story. Overall, Dev Patel's directorial debut is one of the best action films of the 21st century bringing brutal action sequences, and a refreshing integration of Indian culture while also providing an effective critique of the country's social and political landscape.

Star Rating: 9.5/10