In the introduction to the SXSW premiere of his movie, Dev Patel joked that he had recently stumbled across an internet article asking where he was now. According to Patel, that answer is simple: he’s been working on “Monkey Man,” the Mumbai-set actioner he wrote, directed, and starred in. Having now seen the film, I can confirm it’s the sort of thing that would absolutely drain several years of your life.
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When you get paid to lose fights in a monkey mask, it’s probably only a matter of time before the name “Monkey Man” starts to stick. This is the only name offered for Dev Patel’s character in his debut feature. Outside of a short dalliance with Bobby—a pseudonym chosen at random from a bottle of cleaning supplies —Patel’s character remains a man of few words and a proclivity for brutal (if somewhat sloppy) acts of violence.
We know that he was once a member of an agrarian compound that was razed by the police on orders from a local religious leader. We also know that he lost his mother and will do anything —including execute a complicated series of restaurant jobs—to get close to his target and have his revenge. But for much of “Monkey Man,” Patel’s character seems to only do one thing well: sacrifice his body in the interest of a fight. Night after night, he steps into the ring—getting paid extra if he bleeds—and just as often waits hand and foot on the very tier of society he has pitted himself against.
But when the stars align, and Monkey Man/Bobby is able to take his stab at the corrupt government official he wants to kill, he botches the moment. It is only through the guidance of a newfound mentor that he can embrace what he needs to do to have his revenge—and the other lives he could positively impact in the process.
“Monkey Man” offers many firsts for its talented filmmaker. First feature as a writer and a director; first turn as a soon-to-be action icon. And while some actors may choose to set their sights lower for their initial film —a dramedy, say, or a coming-of-age love story—Patel seems determined to stuff his feature with every idea that’s ever consumed his mind. To describe “Monkey Man” as a kitchen sink film is an understatement —in keeping with the Indian tradition of masala films, Patel offers his own take on film genres, both high and low.
Those searching for wall-to-wall action may be surprised to find “Monkey Man” filled with flashbacks and reflections on the nature of violence. One of the biggest departures occurs halfway through, where Patel’s character—gravely injured in a previous fight—is rescued by a community of transgender women who have banded together to evade the police. Here, Patel’s character is taught to appropriate violence as justice and, in the film’s best scene, hones his punches in rhythm with a friendly musician playing the tabla.
(This is a frequent idea in “Monkey Man”: that the demographic identifiers that inspire politicians to vilify communities also provide safe spaces for them to hide. Patel’s character can stay successfully hidden in his new community because transgender people make the police uncomfortable. As far as social commentary goes, it’s both clever and more than a little bitter.)
Even when the violence does come fast and furious, It is fascinating to watch the blend of violence and physicality present onscreen. The actor may be a real-life black belt in Taekwondo, but his slight build—by action movie standards, at least—and long wingspan make him a different kind of fighter. Keanu Reeves may construct his fights around core movement and a low center of gravity, but Patel knows to keep his own choreography a bit looser, and more spread out. It’s a small difference, but one that adds specificity: this is a character that belongs to Patel alone, not just the latest in a long line of John Wick imitators.
It also helps that Patel has a lot he’s trying to say because while he might show promise as a director, the film’s fight sequences can sometimes settle into a familiar routine. Broken bottles to the throat will get the desired cheer from a late-night audience, but for as innovative as Patel’s violence can be at times, other sequences fail to rise above the “John Wick” knockoffs that the filmmaker tries so hard to elevate.
Given the periods of quiet reflection in an otherwise high-genre actioner, perhaps a more experienced filmmaker would have cut the film down a bit from its two-hour runtime. Then again, there’s something inspiring about someone who would risk doing too much rather than end up doing too little. And as the world of “Monkey Man” grows to include an entire country on the brink of revolution, we can appreciate that now is not the time for half-measures.
Ultimately, “Monkey Man” may have been billed as Patel’s answer to the “John Wick” franchise, but the movie more closely reflects a cinematic manifesto. Patel gathers together all the evil he sees in the world— religious extremism, wealth inequality, and violence against both Muslim and transgender communities— and gives it a face that he can punch again and again. And if the results are more than a little preachy, it’s only because Patel cares so passionately about the issues he spotlights and the cinematic language of violence he uses to discuss them. [B-]