Monkey Man (2024) Review
Director: Dev Patel
Cast: Dev Patel (Kid), Sharlto Copley (Tiger), Pitobash (Alphonso), Vipin Sharma (Alpha), Sikander Kher (Rana Singh), Ashwini Kaleskar (Queenie), Adithi Kalkunte (Neela), Makrand Deshpande (Shakti)
Screenplay: Paul Angunawela, Dev Patel, and John Collee
Dev Patel’s Monkey Man is an chaotic, intense, action-packed to the max and yet heartfelt, moving and inspiring film. Monkey Man means and has a lot going on. It is packed with bombastic, dynamic, gritty and lengthy action sequences that leave you at the edge of your seat while your eyes switch between being glued or darting away from the screen, but also finds an emotional beat that we can all cheer for with the main character Kid’s revenge story. Truly the best part of the film was how Dev Patel executes all these high-fi, violent and diverse action sequences that range from driving in a auto to intimate subtle hand to hand combat ,but balances it with a story that is infused with courage, grit, meaning of faith and what it truly means to serve/worship God that isnt driven by power, Hindu mythology with Hanuman and Ramayana and political and social commentary by depicting oppression of minority groups in India driven by a corrupt government and non-secular religious movements. Dev Patel is the star and everything to root for in this film as the man behind and in frontof the screen. The film struggles at times to balance all of these elements as some are fully fleshed out while others are loose ends and some themes can also be hard to understand ,especially if you are not familiar with the political landscape of India or Hindu mythological tales. However with its radiant and vivid cinematography, coarse editing, spirited soundtrack, and astronomic supporting cast, Monkey Man is a must see on the big screen.
In the bumpy 150 minutes screenplay, the connecting strings between all these themes makes the story one to root for. I personally felt the story provides an opportunity for reflection on our relationship and belief in God, how humans treat each other based on status, and what it means to realize your full potential. The film also influences the audience to root for those that are underdogs or often marginalized through involving the third gender community of India, the Hijra community, during a highly climatic second act and a powerful third act action sequence where they are adorned in traditional Indian clothing and fighting off the evil side. Truthfully, there is so much to sit down and break down in the story from how Hanuman’s story parallels Kid in several scenes , how the Ramayana reflects the larger conflict, and how each technical element of the film elevates the story. The effort to integrate the community in this story shows the amount of detail and dedication from Dev Patel to create the most authentic and empowering story permissible. That being said each audience member will have a different reaction to the execution of the themes based on level of previous knowledge, belief systems and opinions and familiarity with India politics and Hinduism. Furthermore the revenge arc is not something that is new and is depicted many times across Indian cinema so it is not the most original, however to witness this story brought to life on Western screens, is memorable and monumental for South Asian representation in Hollwood in many ways.
A staple well thought out part of the film is also how much of it is in Hindi vs English. Though this film is a Western film and therfore majority in English, the story allows for a decent amount of conversations and quips to be in Hindi, especially the conversations between Kid and his mother, Neela. In some ways it highlights the current landscape in India between how Hindi vs English is spoken where English is relegated as the main language of communication for different people , and Hindi is a at home language that your family knows. The balance of Hindi vs English in dialogue is a testament to how much the film attempts to mirror the modern landscape in India to allow audiences to gain a bit of insight on what makes up India. The film allows non-South Asians to understand India in a different light that does not rely on repetitive stereotypes constantly shown in Hollywood but rather is somewhat complex, striking and thoughtful. It is a solid introduction to just a slice of what India is that isn’t from a rose colored and exploitative perspective. As state before, not every element individually is given the depth it requires, but the combination of the different themes in relation to Kid’s journey give the film a layer of complexity that makes it an introspective watch.
Something else to note is that the themes and plot of the film is poetic with the film’s harrowing chaotic production journey. From the financier backing out, to several broken bones, to the pandemic almost shutting down the film or the film almost being dropped and never seeing the light of the day, Dev Patel, crew and this film perceived through it all, no matter what people said. This is very similar to Kid who keeps going no matter what is placed in front of him from angry strict bosses to constantly being tracked and searched for any injury he sustains and Dev Patel embodies it so well as the actor and head of the film. Equipped with the knowledge of the film's harrowing journey to be made, it makes you appreciate almost every single element in it more. It is a exemplification to the phrase “ If you dream it, you can do it” and Dev Patel did it.
Dev Patel is truly the heart and soul of the film not only with his fiery and moving performance as Kid, but his zany and imaginative direction. The film is also elevated by the stellar supporting cast comprised of the humorous lighthearted Alphonso played by Pitobash, the chilling corrupt Rana Singh played by Sikandar Kher, the subtle but silently strong character of Alpha played by Vipin Sharma, funny charming announcer Tiger played by Sharlto Copley, fearful and threatening Baba Shakti played by Makarand Deshpande, and stunning and powerful Sita played by Sobhita Dhulipala who deserved more screen time.
The film has an up-beat kinetic soundtrack that is a mixture of rap, Indian classics from films and the tabla (drum)and instrumental that elevates the film, especially the energy of the lengthy action sequences. There is one beautiful training montage of Kid where he rebuilds himself up after realizing the source of his power and what he is fighting for that is supported by classical Indian drum music played by six time Grammy winner Zakir Husain that is a highlight of the film. Dev Patel and Zakir Hussain have a wholesome amusing back and forth during the montage that captures the playful simple humor of the film. The cinematography and editing of the film is an explosion of a lot of purple, red and blue hues, rough cuts, and intentionally composed scenes that integrate comic book sequences of Hanuman and Ramayana, Kid’s journey and flashback sequences that keep your eyes glued to the screen and is satisfying to watch. While some people may not enjoy the extreme ruggedness of the film because it is too much for them, tonally the shakiness and incomplete full execution of the action choreography matches the journey that Kid goes on perfectly. In the end, it instills in the viewer a holistic gratifying watch when a story is married with technicality so beautifully.
In conclusion, Monkey Man is a unique movie due to what it means for South Asian representation in Hollywood, Dev Patel’s passion project, an ode to what can be created when you persevere through multiple obstacles, and the combination of fierce action and heartfelt emotion that makes it one to be witnessed on the big screen for the best experience possible. While Monkey Man is not perfect or the next big cinematic masterpiece, I can see it becoming a cult classic in the future due to the fast cut action and infusion of culture that makes it rewatchable (also Dev Patel being the lead is a big bonus). Overall, I am pretty high on Monkey Man and think everyone needs to show up and witness it because we need more original and diverse South Asian stories and more beyond.
Rating: 9/10
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