This past week, I saw the highly anticipated violent film Monkey Man and attended a presscon for an upcoming local romantic-drama.

MONKEY MAN (2024)

Dev Patel’s directorial debut Monkey Man, also starring himself, premiered at the SWSX in March and received critical acclaim.

Everybody knew Patel as the teen hero in Danny Boyle’s 2008 big Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, and we saw his complete physical transformation in the emotional fact-based drama Lion (2016).

Now, the guy is directing. 

Monkey Man, from his story, and the screenplay of which he co-wrote, is being compared to the John Wick franchise: A revenge story with brutal, graphic violence.

Patel’s neo-noir film, however, feels artificial. Somewhat influenced by Boyle, he opted for a music video-like experience instead of real action. 

There is no clarity in the fight scenes. Patel employs super tight shots, shaky and jittery camera, and highly irritating quick cuts in combat scenes, which feels lazy and conceals his actors’ lack of fighting skill. It makes you miss David Leitch’s 2017 Atomic Blonde, starring Charlize Theron, which showcases raw, wild, and savage fight sequences in a crystal-clear, realistic manner, including that jaw-dropping 10-minute single take in the stairwell.

Patel’s shots are mostly claustrophobic and chaotic, with visuals of blood, gore and severed body parts scattered here and there for some semblance of shock value. We would also often get frequent snapshots of his livid face, eyes glistening and facial muscles twitching.

Lit with party colors of pink, green, yellow, and blue, with an upbeat soundtrack, Monkey Man is a two-hour overly stylish, visually incoherent fare. The plot itself offers nothing new, except it’s set in India: corruption, religious hypocrisy, caste system, and political ideology wrapped in a revenge-killing-spree agenda.

Patel’s character, named Kid, is out to avenge the death of his dear mother. He spends most of his time as an underground fighter with a monkey mask on, and plots to exact revenge on the evil chief of police and a spiritual guru. 

It’s hard to root for Kid’s cause because his backstory is revealed in snippets, and we do not experience his past bond with his mother. No matter how good-looking Patel is, it’s difficult to get engaged with what’s happening on screen.

Where is the action? Where is the thrill? Emotionless, it’s just one crazy, disorderly disco-like experience. Better see the other “monkey” movie: Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.

0.5 out 5 stars

Now showing in Philippine cinemas (R-18)

CHANCES ARE, YOU AND I (2024)

The trailer for the romantic film Chances Are, You and I is glossy, pretty, and evokes some feels. At first, it brings to mind the weeper Five Feet Apart (2019), about two terminally ill patients who meet at the hospital and fall in love. But then the trailer transitions into a K-drama-ish romance. It looks very well-made, and I might take my chances on this one.

Starring Kelvin Miranda and Kira Balinger, the drama is produced by indie company Pocket Media Productions and Happy Infinite Productions, with Regal Films as the distributor. 

Directed by Catherine “CC” O. Camarillo and written by her own daughter, Ellis Catrina, it follows the love story of two young people diagnosed with brain tumor. 

Miranda plays the pessimist Sol, while Balinger plays the optimist Gab. In the trailer, Sol spelled out the foundation of their blossoming romance: “opposites attract.”

Plenty of scenes are shot in dreamy South Korea. Adding to the trailer’s emotive vibe are two popular songs from its soundtrack: SB19’s “Mapa” and Juan Karlos “Demonyo.”

In the age of streaming platforms and expensive movie tickets, audiences nowadays are reluctant to gamble their time and money at the cinemas. But Camarillo underscored how important it was for her that the movie gets a theatrical release over a direct-to-streaming debut.

“Ito ang magiging magandang handog namin, ambag naming sa industriya natin. Of course, lahat (production companies) ngayon ay gustong pasukin ang streaming platform kaagad. Bilang isang passionate filmmaker, I wanted to share this (movie) to you in the theaters first,” said the director known for the TV series Halik and Wildflower.

The film also stars JinHo Bae and Tart Carlos in main supporting roles. Chances Are, You and I will be shown on 25 to 26 May at the Jinseo Arigato Film Festival in Japan and will premiere in Philippine cinemas on 29 May.