2 min to read
Monkey Man
How is Dev Patel's directoral debut?
The Good: Being Dev Patel’s directorial debut, this is an extremely strong first movie. Not only did he star and direct it, but he also wrote the movie, which is a testament to how much of a passion project it was (and it’s evident it was). This movie is full of so much style, action, and incredible choreography.
As for style, I loved the use of lighting in the movie. Sometimes it everything was fully lit, showing a bit of optimism for the characters and story, but other times it was dark with flashing lights, symbolizing the inner torment that Kid (Dev Patel’s character) has throughout the movie. Throughout the movie, the more violent the action gets, the more dim the lighting gets, perfectly matching the mood of story. Seeing lighting used so intentionally like is evident Dev Patel knew what he wanted visually throughout the movie, and he was able to execute on it nearly flawlessly.
The action and fight choreography is also incredible in the movie. The scene in the bathroom and the ending fight scene are both standouts. We all know have probably seen the great bathroom fight scene in Mission Impossible Fallout, I think this one may top it. There are few cuts, and you can nearly feel every punch being thrown. It was awesome. The ending fight scene where he is fighting along the hijras is one of the best action sequences I have ever seen. It is extremely brutal, full of long takes, and it lets every character you’ve got to know until then have a moment to actually make a difference.
The Meh: While watching the movie, I appreciated how subtle the contextualization of events happening in the movie would gradually grow over time, usually coming through the news on TVs. While I thought this was helpful, I still found myself confused about why Kid was doing what he was doing over time. While everything made sense by the end of the movie, I’m wishing there was a way to keep the intrigue of what happened to Kid’s past but also allow us as the audience to understand what he is trying to accomplish throughout the beginning of the film. By doing that, I feel as though I would have been able to follow the events of the movie much easier, allowing myself to fully embrace the story much easier.
Overall: This is one of the most unique films I have ever seen. It was able to tell an action-packed story of regret, longing, and revenge that was very good. The action/fighting is very graphic, so this is not for those who get a little squeamish with blood. It is a movie Dev Patel should be very proud of, and it’s one I would love to watch again.
Rating: 4.5/5
Comments