Dev Patel makes a flawed, but fierce directorial debut with ‘Monkey Man’

It’s getting harder to make movies in Hollywood nowadays. More specifically, it’s getting harder for filmmakers with a singular vision to get their work in theaters. Even running the gauntlet of financing, casting, shooting and editing a complete film may not be enough. Come time for distribution, there’s a risk of it being dumped on streaming, or passed on by a studio. For every original film, there’s two remakes and a soft reboot to crowd it out from anyone’s view. Despite this, Dev Patel managed to produce, write, direct, and star in something as bracing and brutal as Monkey Man. While a bit bloated, the film is damn near miraculous.

No easy comparisons

Monkey Man is is set in a Mumbai-esque city; 1% metropolis, 99% impoverished narrows. Those streets are home to thousands of struggling citizens, one of whom is about Patel’s nameless protagonist. The rich and powerful forces drive locals from his humble village and killed his mother when he was a boy. Now, our hero fights in underground wrestling matches for spare cash while plotting his revenge against the corrupt police chief (Sikander Kher) who destroyed his family. With the help of a dopey gangster (Pitobash), a burned-out prostitute (Sobhita Dhulipala), and a temple of displaced hijra members, he builds his strength and journeys within himself to rise up against the dangerous elite to reclaim his family’s honor.

You’ve probably seen a lot of comparisons made between Monkey Man and John Wick. There are certainly a few elements of the Keanu Reeves-led franchise on display here: neon lighting, intense fight choreography, and a revenge-based plot. There’s also a lot more to Monkey Man than the standard action fare. The screenplay from Patel, John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World) and Paul Angunawela, has something of a rolling snowball build to it in that it surrounds a simple revenge story with bigger elements to make it more impactful.

There’s a lot going on

Some of those elements land well. Whether it be the visual language of wealth disparagement between the high-rollers and the inner city youth or showing the community of transgender citizens bonded by celebration of each other against the hate from the powerful. Other elements feel like rough drafts of stories that could be the main plot of whole other movies. One minute we see our lead’s dominance in the wrestling ring as the titular Monkey Man turn to a rallying cry for the common man, the next we see the sympathetic lady of the night trying to keep strong while being abused by the men (and women) in power. It’s noble that Patel wants to shine as much light as he can on the good and bad of his heritage, but the weight he puts on Monkey Man and its audience can be exhausting.

The pacing can also run an audience ragged. The first and second hours of Monkey Man feel like two longer movies shrunken in a microwave. Both are well-structured with solid escalation. The first half has a slight advantage with its modern Death Wish setup and exceptional climactic fight scene. The second hour feels like the movie starts all over again. We watch as Patel’s protagonist goes on a spiritual journey, rebuilding himself for the real epic showdown in the finale. The transition from the first to the second hour slows the movie down a bit too much and it’s the time when Patel’s script tries to reach higher for bigger themes. Again, admirable but a bit too much for his movie to handle.

Dev Patel makes his case as an action hero

The good news is that no matter the structure, Monkey Man is pretty stunning to look at thanks to DP Sharone Meir (Whiplash) giving every drop of sweat and splash of blood a shining spotlight. If you’re going into Monkey Man for an action picture, you’ll get your money’s worth with its bone-crunching fight choreography. Almost all of the punches have the sound and shot composition of a bullet to the head. Meanwhile, any use of sharp objects are treated like little bursts of body horror.

Patel proves himself an adept student of modern action movies. We see this through camerawork that follows its fighters, fluid motion that breaks up intense bits of shaky cam, and making every punch and kick have a rhythm to it. That formula adds up to some of the best fight scenes to hit western audiences since The Raid. Not only is all of that well executed behind the camera, but Patel makes a strong case for his screen presence in front of it. He has the poise and emotional intensity of a modern action hero. He could be suave like James Bond before lunging at bad guys like Batman.

The bottom line

Monkey Man is not a perfect movie by any means, but even something flawed has to be commended for having a fierce heart to it. There are moments of sharp beauty between its brutal attitude and aims high beyond the typical punch and brooding affair of action pictures. If Patel wants to make another exciting romp, all he needs is a little bit of tightening on his stories and how to make them flow onscreen. Still, it is a miracle to see something like this on a big screen and not buried under a random season of 90 Day Fiancé.

Monkey Man is now playing in theaters everywhere. You can watch the trailer here.