'Monkey Man' by Dev Patel Review: A fast-paced action film with a lot of identity

It was a huge surprise to see a film directed by Dev Patel. This actor disappeared a bit after The Green Knight, a film I heavily enjoyed and found visually beautiful. It was interesting to not only see him in a film again, but more surprising to see him both performing and under the full control of a director. It seems as if he has been choosing few roles in recent years, and to have such sudden power behind the camera is both a heavy challenge and risk, something that can easily end a career with a few simple mistakes. I do think the actor and now director has potential, but often chooses his roles a little wrong, ending up in films that don't really gain much traction or interest in the public eye. Monkey Man seems to be a different case, however. Something that definitely caught a bit of attention with its recent release. Perhaps with a film that is more unique, one that is deep in culture that Patel is familiar with, and as a result handled rather well. Though that isn't to say it is a film without flaws. With many moments and choices that just didn't quite make sense in the general idea of the film. Nonetheless, it is an interesting and fun experience despite a two hour runtime.

Primarily in that Patel shows he has the ability to tell stories both in character and out of it. To know subject matter as well as knowing when the technicals are being handled properly. That includes the areas of cinematography which are often hard to handle for a director that perhaps doesn't have a whole lot of experience when it comes to handling a huge budget and crew. The film is certainly an accomplishment, and there's no doubt that to direct and star in a film without it turning into absolute drivel is a great difficulty. Monkey Man certainly has its influences elsewhere, and perhaps that's a leading cause as to how this managed to not become a total failure, pulling inspiration from elsewhere while sprinkling in his own elements of storytelling. To add to this are some fun performances from relatively known actors that also don't always pick the best roles, but sometimes land a great hit that leaves them known for a while under loved characters.

This review may feature some spoilers, though I will refrain from mentioning significant aspects of the narrative. Read on at your own discretion!

Monkey Man is yet another visually stylish film that details the inner turmoil of a broken protagonist that seeks revenge upon those that have wronged him in the past. Stemming from India, the film holds a lot of cultural influence and visuals, which certainly adds to the film's identity and distancing it from the likes of films such as John Wick, which the film admittedly holds a lot of similarity to. Serving as an underground fighter in the night for rigged matches, our protagonist begins to find a way to infiltrate the rich in his pursuit of gaining revenge for the acts of the past, which led to him being both physically damaged and emotionally. Leading to hands covered in scars that he often lies about, making claims of certain accidents and such. The film is about that contrast between the broken and the elite, how people reach their breaking point no matter how many years later, with a thirst to right the wrongs of others and dish out a violent justice.

The film is directed in a pretty beautiful manner. A film that is incredibly well lit and holds a lot of personality, both in the colours of interiors and exteriors. I noticed how beautiful the colour schemes were rather early on, a mixture of cold tones and warm lighting within shots. A very unique style that is similar to that of the previous action films. Particularly in the more simplistic and enjoyable age of action films that came from Asia in the past, the era of Hong Kong's visually beautiful New Wave. John Woo craziness of action scenes and colour tones from the beauty of 35mm film stock. Though here the film is digital. Though holding that chaos in the fight scenes, as well as the more modern approach of up-beat music that as compared to before, was seen in films like John Wick. That nightclub aesthetic of colours mixed with the remixes of techno-like music.

Despite how easy it is to make comparisons to larger franchise titles, this film was still very enjoyable. I found it to be its own thing still despite how similar it was sometimes. I considered these to be influences more than attempts to copy. And sometimes it's fun to notice those similarities to films of the past, those eras long gone and mostly forgotten. Patel's direction definitely makes a difference here, and it's quite the surprise. Especially in his ability to know when to pace the action, letting things get full overblown and hellish. That music continuing to pump as the cinematography maintains that stylish movement, from shaky to creative angles and fixed perspectives. Our protagonist is far from invincible too, being just a mere pawn in a small underground fight club, but not being someone that is capable of easily bringing people down. Mostly he's outnumbered, being the one getting beaten and having to flee.

Action films are often hard to pull off, and it's why so many of them tend to rely on the faces of significantly massive macho-men actors. Whereas Patel's Monkey Man relies on the stylisation of its visuals to maintain your attention. Our protagonist is scrawny, far from anyone significant. And this is what makes the film work so well. A beautifully shot and considered film that defies the typical expectations of the action genre to be something that's certainly more memorable than your average action flick to hit the cinemas. I think this is why the film managed to gain a bit more traction than most, with Patel's name being that unexpected mention that. A genuine surprise for many. I genuinely didn't expect anything of quality from this film, having known nothing about it beforehand, and actually having put it off for weeks. I feel that was a great mistake.

Though one of the main mistakes in the film is that it loves its culture. Patel loves his roots and uses them wisely to create a film full of culture and beauty, but the downside is often lost in translation with segments that heavily rely on generic western rap music. Sometimes the film switches to and from music that sticks true to the culture, and this is when the film is genuinely incredible. Those aforementioned action sequences that go on forever, with momentum picking up alongside the traditional music of India. But we switch sometimes to that generic western rap, and it pulls you straight out of what matters the most. Perhaps the main downside of Patel's attempt here. Hard to sometimes overlook, but the film certainly does a great job at moving forward and making you forget about it.

I'd say this is a film worth watching. A pleasant surprise in a sea of terrible films coming out as of late.