
BY JERÓNIMO CASCO
MAY 24, 2024, 13.51 PM | UTC-GMT -3
Hanuman: Monkey god of the Hindu mythology and one of the most important deities of the pantheon. This god has an almost unlimited physical force that, when he was born, allowed him to jump to the sun as he confused it with a fruit.
Long live Dev Patel. Monkey Man, Patel's directorial debut, is mind-blowing, hypnotical, visceral, wild and exciting and is among the best debuts in the action genre of the last years. With a mise-en-scène that recreates the best (and worst) of the Hindu culture and idiosyncrasy along with an infinite love for Bruce Lee's movies, the British-Indian actor and now director uses his own experience in Hollywood to go back to his motherland turned into a prophet. Patel only needed a faithful interpretation of the tales that his grandfather recited to him when he was younger, some cameras and a lot of fake blood (even though there was also real blood) to bring to life a more than innovative, necessary and real action movie.
The line between myth and reality is blurred in a tale both old and necessary. The nameless protagonist (Dev Patel) is presented as a real outsider and loser who spends his nights winning some rupees in the world of underground fights and carrying out a plan to infiltrate a restaurant that is also a VIP club for important government officials, in order to accomplish his vengeance. Yes, this might seem like the typical vengeance story where only one man intends to defeat the whole system on his own. But no, Monkey Man dares to visit unknown places to give a twist to the "vengeance parable" shown in movies like The Lion King or The Northman.

The African-American director Jordan Peele, along with his production company Monkeypaw Productions, made a flawless move to rescue the movie from the streaming platform hell and distributed it according to the agreement he has with Universal Pictures. In addition, he also chose a new songwriter for the movie's soundtrack by acquiring the rights held by Netflix. Long live Jordan for such a wise decision. Honestly, all the blood, sweat and tears that it took can be seen in every frame of the movie. Additionally, we can never tell there were evident budgetary constraints. Patel's imagination and willpower to go all the way in each aesthetic and narrative decision makes this a one-of-a-kind movie.
A hybrid which ends up being organic. A voice which ends up being the voice of many: the helpless people. Just as the protagonists' story in Parasite (2019), the monkey man must ascend several floors through the elevator to reach the top, where the richest people gaze with contempt at the people in the lower floors, powerless. This game of symbols is the essential backbone of the movie, which crushes without mercy (metaphorically and literally) the social structures altered by inequality and violence. Monkey Man does this through the protagonist's perspective to highlight this idea conveyed through the following phrase that the villain says:
“In the great tapestry of life, just one small ember can burn down everything.”

The director mixes some kind of light humor with a profound sense of human drama that simply fits perfectly. His Monkey Man is a man who doesn't break through glass as John Wick does, but he can give the most accurate and forceful punches you can find. Is he a demigod? Is he a creation of his own mind and memories? How many times did we say things to ourselves that we wanted to hear? This “monkey man” symbolizes an internal revolution, determination, loyalty to the family and values. Baka Shakti, the movie's villain that only creates horrors, tells him “Show me mercy.” But, how can we show mercy to someone so merciless?
RESUME
“Dev Patel takes inspirations from everywhere but unlike Zack Snyder he appropriates them and brings us his interpretation of the Hindu god Hanuman in the modern world. A sort of The Lion King, Black Panther and The Northman combined with all the cultural richness and idiosyncrasies of India in a frenetic, wild and visceral staging. The work of the actor and now director in Indian is impressive in front of and behind the cameras, something unusual for action films.
There is no time for relaxation in Monkey Man, the story of a 'one-man army' in search of quenching their excessive thirst for revenge against a corrupt system. The immersive camera work is reminiscent of what was done in John Wick, but in this case a little more real. Jed Kurzel's soundtrack is brutal and exciting thanks to the wind sounds implemented in both the action scenes and the most dramatic moments."
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