Monkey Man
Introduction
It is not often that style of a film manages to supersede its substance and writing. Well, Monkey Man is definitely one of them! It was earlier this month that the English film Monkey Man was supposed to have a grand theatrical release in India. Previously, it was Jordan Peele who had bought the film from Netflix(yes, this was supposed to be a Netflix original) who was reluctant to release it on its OTT platform. There were several speculations doing the rounds up until its prolific trailer dropped that had almost everyone go gaga about the kind of action that it was catering too while setting the story against the backdrop of mythology. Yet, the cobtroversy around the film refused to die down as the film did not get a censor certificate and was interimly banned in India. There were several eyebrows raised regarding the content of the film wherein anyone could take a ‘blind’ guess on what things it had in store for its viewers. In times where one extreme of cinema was repeatedly being churned out, the other side of the spectrum would obiviously be banned. Finally the film did premiere on Video On Demand yesterday, and I grabbed my opportunity of watching Monkey Man. Does it manage to impress, let’s find out.
Story & Screenplay
Monkey Man follows the story of ‘Kid’ who fights to lose in an underground fight club where night after night, he is battered while wearing a gorilla mask. This until his suppressed rage makes him hunt down a couple of folks who had contributed to his childhood trauma featuring his mother. The story here is essentially a simple revenge drama which treads the line of being predictable to the core. The drama doesn’t have a novelty factor associated with it, in fact it would remind you of the Hindi cult film Agneepath that did follow a similar idea at its core. But it is superseded by some solid treatment featuring some splendid action set-pieces while lacing the story with solid political undertones and bouts of mythology that ensures that the runtime of just over 2 hours does feel taut and thrilling. I must add that I don’t see the unfiltered version of the film releasing in India(although it is slated for release this weekend) because it captures the current political climate of the country rather accurately(although just on the surface without going deep).
First things first – you need to forego your inhibitions about the setting of the drama. The said city is ‘Mumbai’ but it did not seem like it, almost warranting a fantasy city on the lines of Mumbai. So, if you can look past it, you should be just fine! The drama opens with the introduction of a young protagonist who is shown to listen to the story of Lord Hanuman from his mother. The mother-son bond is well established very early on in the film, something that would later act as a foundation for the things to follow. The drama almost immediately cuts to a later timeline wherein the now grownup protagonist finds himself in the middle of a ring wearing a Monkey Mask while being paid to be battered and lose in a fight. Almost as a parallel track, you see the protagonist enquiring about one of the characters while trying to get a job at a luxury brothel. The mystery surrounding his childhood is soon put to light wherein you get acquainted with the fact that this is a revenge saga!
The proceedings are engaging particularly because of the way in which the film is presented. This is less to do with its writing which is pretty basic and on the surface, particularly in the first hour wherein you are well versed with the motive of the protagonist. So even as the protagonist makes his way through multiple characters to get a hold of his nemesis, you are mostly invested due to the neon frames gracing the screen coupled with some emaculate action sequences. There are mythological references interspersed in the drama which are good, and add a underlying layer of drawing parallels with the Ramayana(and more importantly, Lord Hanuman) and Ardhanarishvara. But the part wherein the film truly gets controversial is its political commentary that it chooses to address!
I was pleasantly surprised as to how accurately the writers have understood the political landscape of the country. The commentary here is definitely on the surface and doesn’t get deep into the issue(while the focus solely remains on the revenge angle). But atleast it was a start and a refreshing perspective from the films of the other spectrum that did spew venom on celluloid. And this commentary definitely elevates the film in an otherwise underdog drama utilizing a standard revenge template. The events leading up to the final are routine but the makers back it with stunning action setpieces that consistently hold your attention. The final face-off is pretty routine from a writing standpoint but the mesmerizing frames had me sold with its ending. The screenplay is decently well written while being predictable yet ably superseded by style that rescues an unsteady ship.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are decent but what was distracting was the locals interacting with each other in English(given that the fantasy city was said to be Mumbai). I wonder if the writers could have been slightly more mindful of it(while I do get that this is an English language film). The music is phenomenal and integrated wonderfully well amidst the chaotic action setpieces. They just set the mood of the drama so well and in sync with the vibe of the film. Likewise for the spectacular BGM which is pulsating and manages to impress with its score. The cinematography coupled with the lighting and an exceptional production design enhance the narrative by a huge margin. The fast cut frames often oscillating between the first person and rotating to give the perspective of the drama from the protagonist’s lens does contribute particularly well in the action setpieces which are incredibly well choreographed while almost paying homage to Ong Bak and John Wick. The fast paced editing maintains the intensity of these action sequences while making for a wonderful watch. Director Dev Patel in his directorial debut is supremely impressive with his craft that supersedes his ability to tell an intriguing tale. And this works in the favour of the film given that most of its focus lies in the craft(and the protagonist), and very little elsewhere. The direction is pretty solid here and ensures that the drama consistently remains watchable.
Performances
The performances are excellent by the ensemble cast. The legend Zakir Hussain playing a tabla maestro adds a unique flavour in the proceedings particularly with the protagonist prepping for his fight against the beats of the tabla. Sharlto Copley as Tiger, Ashwini Kalsekar as Queenie and Jatin Malik have their moments to shine. Sobhita Dhulipala as Sita is quite good in a character that was underwritten and needed a little more meat. Adithi Kalkunte as Neela is sincere and earnest while being such a natural onscreen. This was a joy to witness her character despite a limited runtime. Pitobash as Alphonso is excellent while playing perfect foil to the protagonist.
Vipin Sharma as Alpha is brilliant to the core and pulls off his character with utmost amount of grace. Yet, he does excel in the finale combat sequence too. Makrand Deshpande essaying the character of a Godman(a mix of a so called Baba and a powerful political figure) is incredibly good while also being supremely menacing. Sikandar Kher as Rana Singh is equally menacing and quite unabashed with his character, in what was an outstanding performance. Dev Patel as ‘Kid’ aka Monkey Man is phenomenal here. Not only does he excel in combat sequences wherein he is brilliant, but also in a few emotional scenes where you are witness to pain written all over his face. Dev the actor and filmmaker definitely bail out Dev the writer here.
Conclusion
Monkey Man is a predictable but a brilliantly stylized actioner laced with subtle bouts of political commentary and mythology that accounts for an entertaining watch. Keep your expectations low with the writing and instead focus on the style of filmmaking to truly enjoy this flick.