“You like John Wick? I have the same gun from the movie!”
I choose the aforementioned quote because it is impossible not to draw parallels between Monkey Man and John Wick. Both are action-packed movies featuring a protagonist out for revenge. Additionally, both protagonists spend time on dishing it out, but also having to take a good deal of abuse while carrying out their bloody campaign. However, in Monkey Man I’d have to say the bloodshed is more of a prominent fixture. It works for it, though. Gives it a visceral edge. Making his directorial debut, Dev Patel showcases himself as a jack of all trades, as he not only directs but also stars in and co-writes the film. I never thought of Patel as an action star. To me, he’s the guy exploding on the scene with shows like Skins and movies like Slumdog Millionaire before establishing a stable career in the industry, usually in the drama genre. But after viewing the film I see his commitment to the authenticity and choreography. And before we launch into the debate about whether it was really him or a double taking the abuse, it’s worth noting that while filming this movie he sustained a number of injuries, including a broken hand, two broken toes, a torn shoulder, and an eye infection. And while the eye infection seems out of place next to the other more physical injuries, if that isn’t commitment to craft, I don’t know what is.
Patel plays Kid, an anonymous young man who meagerly makes ends meet in the Indian subcontinent of Yatana, at an underground fight. At this club, night after night, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters while disguised in a gorilla mask. While initially appearing weak and unnoticeable, it become clears that there is much more to this character than what meets the eye. Through glimpses, we learn of his tragic past and loss of a loved one that have left the character with a ton of suppressed rage as well as an intense desire for revenge. He has scars, both physical and psychological ones. However, it’s the suppressed rage, which Patel masterfully presented, that really drew me in. With every tremble of his hand, I found myself wondering if this would be the moment where that pot would boil over, especially in the early stages of his quest for revenge.
Additionally, the character is quite cunning. Or at least he is early on. Through his revenge journey, we also learn of the character’s cunning, as he infiltrates the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. Kid’s purpose in life is to hunt down a group of corrupt leaders who are responsible for his tragedy and loss. The intensity factor for this revenge was significant elevated upon learning that person directly responsible is Rana Singh (Sikandar Kher), chief of police of the city of Yatana. Kid, presenting himself as Bobby, a man desperately in need for work, brilliantly orchestrates circumstances that result in his infiltration of the organization that brings him into proximity with his desired target. However, this is where things become complicated, as Kid’s childhood trauma boils over and he learns that there is much more at play than his personal revenge. There are powerful forces at work, and he finds himself in enthralled in a sociopolitical conspiracy that has implications for not just him, but the city at large. As the only person positioned to prevent it, Kid unleashes an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score and bring down those who took everything from him.
As I initially said, I never really thought of Dev Patel as an action guy. Learning that began training in Taekwando at the age of 10 and earned a 1st dan black belt has caused me to reevaluate my perceptions of him. Patel delivers a fantastic and authentic performance, mainly because the action isn’t just about him dishing out the punishment. The early portion of the film in dedicated to seeing him taking punishment. This is not to say that he is a weakling or a pushover. In the underground fight sequences, Patel holds back predominantly as the contests are clearly rigged at the desire of Tiger, played by Sharlto Copley, who is criminally underutilized in the film I have to say. His appearance amounts to a guest star role. I would have liked to have seen more time spent setting up a dynamic between Patel’s and Copley’s characters. They aren’t friends, with Copley in the role of sleazy promoter who’s taking advantage of folks desperate for money. However, I would have enjoyed seeing more of their antagonistic relationship, perhaps an altercation in which Patel’s character is forced to suppress his anger or finally unleash his rage on the promoter.
Visually, I really appreciated the gritty and immersive look of the film. Red is the prominent color of the film, as seen in the film’s promotional material and during key confrontations. There was a period, most notably in the film’s climax action scenes, where it really felt like I was part of the action. Imagine my surprise to learn that multiple shots were filmed with GoPros and iPhones due to budget cuts. Happy accident if you ask me, as this workaround added an immersive intensity to these action sequences that made the project all the better.
The film did drag for a bit as it moved away from the personal revenge story into a more sociopolitical climate. And while I do not undercut the importance of its inclusion, I was not well versed in the circumstance to fully appreciate the situation. I required a better explanation for the transpiring events. The film also goes down a trippy trail momentarily, too, when Patel’s character is forced to have a substance-induced reconciliation with his past. This somewhat seemed out of place with a film that, up until that point, was firmly grounded outside the hallucinatory.
The ending was cathartic, albeit ambiguous about the ultimate of particular characters. Despite this, this was a slam-dunk directorial debut for Patel in my opinion. I wouldn’t be surprised of the film won the weekend even though being up against The First Omen does somewhat put it a disadvantage. However, given its similarities with films like John Wick, it isn’t difficult to imagine that fans of that franchise may be eager to see this film. And with good reason.
