Dev Patel must watch a lot of movies on cellphones.
Otherwise, how do you explain the tight close-ups in his directorial debut, “Monkey Man”?
Almost claustrophobic in approach, the action film goes in for the kill repeatedly. When it’s not, it’s rushing through subtitles that explain what’s happening.
In short, there’s no time to rest.
Patel plays a masked fighter (thus the film’s title) who earns money taking falls for others. He’s also a smart worker who worms his way into situations that will get him into proximity with power.
Alternating current events with his childhood, Patel paves the way for a “John Wick”-like story of revenge. (And, yes, there’s even a dog here.)
“Monkey Man,” however, is eager to dissect the class system in India and show how an impressionable boy can be driven to do just about anything.
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While others slip in and out of focus, Patel’s “Kid” holds the attention, cleaning floors, refining his body, and stalking a group of moneyed men who have a connection to his past. He wears the mask when fighting, looks like a suave spy when he’s toiling in a VIP club.
Patel, the director, assumes we’ll catch up as he races through hallways, garages and streets.
“Monkey Man” doesn’t indicate where specifically it’s set but it does show a much different India than other films. No Bollywood happiness here, just a lot of people on the take, pretending to work in the best interests of others.
As an action film, “Monkey Man” is quite good. Patel doesn’t skimp on the action but he also doesn’t pull back far enough to show the stunt work.
As an action hero, he’s every bit as measured as Keanu Reeves and Liam Neeson.
He has a nifty way of gaining entrance to the secured floors and a way with pots and pans that would make Bobby Flay weep. His flashbacks provide the necessary context but, they, too, could have been slowed so the story could resonate. We don’t get the children’s book connections until it’s too late to savor them. More time up front (setting the scene with his mother) could have made the ending even better.
As a director, Patel shows great promise. He isn’t afraid to improvise (he broke his hand during the first action sequence) or mix things up.
“Monkey Man,” though, needs to breathe. It’s like swimming underwater on one breath.
Monkey Man
One small ember can burn down everything.
#MonkeyManMovie Only in Theaters April 5.
Oscar® nominee Dev Patel (Lion, Slumdog Millionaire) achieves an astonishing, tour-de-force feature directing debut with an action thriller about one man’s quest for vengeance against the corrupt leaders who murdered his mother and continue to systemically victimize the poor and powerless.
Inspired by the legend of Hanuman, an icon embodying strength and courage, Monkey Man stars Patel as Kid, an anonymous young man who ekes out a meager living in an underground fight club where, night after night, wearing a gorilla mask, he is beaten bloody by more popular fighters for cash.
After years of suppressed rage, Kid discovers a way to infiltrate the enclave of the city’s sinister elite. As his childhood trauma boils over, his mysteriously scarred hands unleash an explosive campaign of retribution to settle the score with the men who took everything from him.
Packed with thrilling and spectacular fight and chase scenes, Monkey Man is directed by Dev Patel from his original story and his screenplay with Paul Angunawela and John Collee (Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World).
The film’s international cast includes Sharlto Copley (District 9), Sobhita Dhulipala (Made in Heaven), Pitobash (Million Dollar Arm), Vipin Sharma (Hotel Mumbai), Ashwini Kalsekar (Ek Tha Hero), Adithi Kalkunte (Hotel Mumbai), Sikandar Kher (Aarya) and Makarand Deshpande (RRR).
Monkey Man is produced by Dev Patel, Jomon Thomas (Hotel Mumbai, The Man Who Knew Infinity), Oscar® winner Jordan Peele (Nope, Get Out), Win Rosenfeld (Candyman, Hunters series), Ian Cooper (Nope, Us), Basil Iwanyk (John Wick franchise, Sicario films), Erica Lee (John Wick franchise, Silent Night), Christine Haebler (Shut In, Bones of Crows) and Anjay Nagpal (executive producer of Bombshell, Greyhound).
Serving as executive producers are Jonathan Fuhrman, Natalya Pavchinskya, Aaron L. Gilbert, Andria Spring, Alison-Jane Roney and Steven Thibault.
Universal Pictures presents a Bron Studios production, a Thunder Road film, a Monkeypaw production, a Minor Realm/S’Ya Concept production, in association with WME Independent and Creative Wealth Media.
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