The Cinephile's Aisle
Two film haters and a microphone covering cinema classics, box office blockbusters, and everything in between!
The Cinephile's Aisle
Episode 12: "Long live the Monkey King"
Ofili and Steve are back covering the latest crowd favorite, MONKEY MAN. They share what they loved about Dev Patel's directorial debut, what creative choices rubbed them the wrong way, and how not every film featuring a man wearing a suit while fighting bad guys should be termed a "John Wick Movie."
Find us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube at @CinephilesAisle.
Okay, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to your favorite podcast, The Central's Isle. We're back.
SPEAKER_02:I love that intro, favorite podcast. It really is my favorite podcast.
SPEAKER_05:It really is. It really is. And we've got some more listeners. We've got some our numbers are growing, you know. Try to get, you know, a guest of honor on this episode. It was a bit too busy. I'll surprise them later. Who I reached out to, you know. But you know, I was Ed, so it doesn't really matter. You know. Hey man, they're lost. Exactly. We have great questions. We have great questions.
SPEAKER_03:Yes. Exactly. So they're lost, man.
SPEAKER_05:They're lost. They're lost. But um, yeah, interestingly, I remember we were talking about the breakdown of our listeners, and we got some niggas out in Germany, and you know it's always fucking fascinating to me when I go to see, oh, where are people listening from?
SPEAKER_02:And I see some weird place.
SPEAKER_05:I don't think it's all weird. I think we've interacted with people that are studying abroad, or like who came to America for study abroad. Because I know like one of our dramatics was a guy I played footy with. So I know that one for sure. Don't know who else the other two are.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, so I'm looking at I'm looking at the stats now, and the city with the most listeners is actually Frankfurt. And I don't know a single person in Frankfurt. That's why I'm saying that. Like, yeah, like that's so some of them, like Lagos is to be expected. Jersey City, that's mostly me, you know, Chicago, but like there's Nairobi here.
SPEAKER_04:I can't lie, only Chicago is that deep.
SPEAKER_05:But yeah, Lagos for sure, a heavy crowd out there, and I know Canada is growing. Canada's growing.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um shout out to anyone, wherever in the world you're catching the Cinefales out. Shout out to you. Appreciate it.
SPEAKER_05:Love you guys, love the energy, love the vibe. And also, shout out to Juba and Irima who always give like detailed reviews of our episodes. It's a great vibe seeing that people are, you know, we love like you guys listening, but we also love the interactions a lot more. Yeah. Yeah. But speaking of podcasts and questions, I think there's like a vibe these days where I don't know. It's like I feel like a lot of podcasts have like a little gimmick. Do you get what I mean?
SPEAKER_03:Gimmick in what sense?
SPEAKER_05:I don't know. It's just like he thinks that like catch them. You know, it's it's like I know I used to listen to this podcast called Apes on Tape, and he used to like the I guess gimmick would be what's a white woman body count? Like that's the question.
SPEAKER_04:It would like throw people off. And I'm just like, huh.
SPEAKER_05:And I'm not gonna knock on shits and gigs. Because I love James and Ferro and I love that podcast. But I feel like their little gimmick is oh, they don't really have that many guests, but like their little gimmick is like reading funny tweets.
SPEAKER_03:Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, or I like that.
SPEAKER_03:I like the sound of that.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah. So that's not that's not bad. Um, I know at one point we pitched an interesting gimmick here about like reading funny reviews from Letterboxd, like our favorite reviews, or like the reviews that we hated most. So maybe we'll revisit that idea.
SPEAKER_02:I think we should. I think especially because the app is relatively like it might sound um not niche, but it might sound like, oh, because we're in this bubble, we think the app is very mainstream. But bro, the average Joe doesn't know what Letterboxd is. The app just got acquired like a few months ago. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:I feel like even the average the average person doesn't really even hop on Rotten Tomatoes before watching a movie. Do you get me?
SPEAKER_02:Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:So we should do that. That would be cool.
SPEAKER_05:I think that would be interesting. Because you know, the only, you know, we I won't say it's going to be probably a running gimmick, but maybe just like a little segment for us because I really like our conversations a little a lot more than like having like, you know, a thing. Do you get me?
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:But we have interesting conversations in general, so yeah.
SPEAKER_03:How was how was your week?
SPEAKER_05:Um pretty okay. I guess month now, since we haven't really talked since Dune. But pretty okay. Um haven't done anything crazy. Um went to watch Monkey Man for the missus, and that's just it. Haven't really done anything. Been been playing footy. Um my knee, my knee is messed up, and I've been running running a lot. But you know, I think intensity training, you know, when you go up like on your intensity for your running a little bit too quick, yeah. My knee just it just went. It just you know, it turns to like pole park, you know. Yeah, you know what, like you see like those videos of them guys who cooked like chicken or turkey crazy and it's like falling off the board. That's my knee right now, bro. That's my knee right now.
SPEAKER_03:That does not sound fun at all, bro. I'm sorry to hear that.
SPEAKER_05:It's really not fun, it's really not fun. What about you? How's your week going?
SPEAKER_02:Mine's been good. Um, I started so this there's a there's a longer story here, and I'm not going to bore you guys with this theory, but I started my um binge watching the Mission Impossible franchise, starting from the beginning, and I'm realizing the more I watch them, well, first of all, it's one of the few franchises where each film, minus part two, the second one, was a terrible, horrible film. But minus part two, every film is better than the last one. And I think it's because this guy, Tom Cruise, he's a maniac. Obviously, we know that like people make jokes about how a film with Tom and Nolan would literally result in multiple deaths or what, or like blah blah blah. But that's because he's a maniac and he finds his own, like you know, his favorite different filmmakers and different casts or whatever, but he finds the people that truly get his level of craze, craziness, and then he just sticks with them. And so, like, each film is an experiment in and of itself, and then it just gets better because like if it takes what works and changes what doesn't work. But I'm on six now, so I have two more, and it's been an amazing mission impossible.
SPEAKER_03:Mission Impossible, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Oh, that's interesting.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so that's that's what I've been doing so far.
SPEAKER_05:Is that like out on like a major streaming service? Is that like out of like HBO?
SPEAKER_02:It's on Paramount.
SPEAKER_05:All of them on Paramount, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:All of them are on Paramount. Paramount have the best, they don't have the best film, but they have the best action. I I tweeted about that show, special ops that was watching the other time. I binged that in like three days, maybe two, three days. I mean I have works that I can like still.
SPEAKER_05:I don't know if it was on cable or if you have like Infinity or Cable, you can like watch some things on Paramount.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:It wasn't a bad thing.
SPEAKER_02:They have good. Let's let's shift away from always giving Apple pre free promo. Paramount they be cooking, like when it comes to action.
SPEAKER_05:About to recommend a show that I watched God of mercy. We already know what it is.
SPEAKER_03:God of mercy.
SPEAKER_05:It's the Colin Master Talks, it's the bang on bang. It is sugar. If you're into I hope they pay you, bro. Sugar. And do you know what's interesting? Sugar ties very much into the main course of this episode.
SPEAKER_02:Okay. Yeah. I saw Popcorn for Dinner just drop their episode on sugar. I haven't listened yet, but I also didn't listen because I haven't started the show.
SPEAKER_05:When I looked up the show, what I saw wasn't those guys are like really they're on it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, shout out Popcorn for Dinner, man.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Their consistency, they're you know, it's like they're turning out episodes every other day, man.
SPEAKER_05:Man, it's like it's so that's real consistency. Like, I hope one day we can get to that level, can't I?
SPEAKER_02:Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
SPEAKER_05:Because they're really putting through.
SPEAKER_02:And they also gives me this this is like a this is a compliment, what I'm about to say, but they also give me NSG vibes in the sense that I don't know if you see those tweets about how one man from NSG could be walking out, you wouldn't know because there's there's bad people, bro. It's different people every it's different people every episode, but it's good because it keeps things fresh. Like, and they have people that specialize in like they have people that have like subject matter experts, for example. Like, you know, when they when they're doing the invincible or when they're doing a particular series, they have the their go-to person, you know. So nah, shout out, shout out, shout out for dinner.
SPEAKER_05:They're so consistent, and like just like what you said, they have I I almost want to call them adjuncts that just like come in. They have like their random once in a while, like new guests, like fresh, new, but they have like rotating specialists or adjuncts that like you know, they tap in, come on, give you a good like season review of a show. Every episode they're dropping in, like, you know, a follow-up. And they actually taught me something. I don't remember who said it, but I wait, was this popcorn for dinner? I feel like it was, but it was someone that told me or that brought up in the podcast that um always take the penultimate episode in an action TV show as the actual final. Because the final episode is always gonna disappoint you.
SPEAKER_07:Always take the penultimate episode.
SPEAKER_03:Interesting.
SPEAKER_07:Huh.
SPEAKER_05:But that penultimate, like that second to the last one, right before it's like that little cliffhanger or whatever, it's like where you see like the best acting, the best dialogue, the best vibes.
SPEAKER_03:Okay, okay. Yeah, sure. Good cook, good cook, good cook.
SPEAKER_05:Great cook, it's like the rule I live by now for like movies and TV shows, TV shows that like action. Yeah, pretty similar with movies, also. Like the third act, like I can I can't judge a movie until I get to the third act. Especially if it's action.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, that's where everything on Ravels, that's where exactly comes together.
SPEAKER_05:That's where you're like, okay, yeah. Before I used to wait till like the finale, but for sometimes the finale can be a bit underwhelming, but that third act, really how you handle that third act, can really like make or break the perceptions of the film.
SPEAKER_03:I agree.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, I agree. We're about almost 12 minutes into this episode, and we haven't told you guys what we're reviewing. I guess you can see from the title card, but we're gonna be talking about Monkey Man and Dev Patel's directorial debut.
SPEAKER_02:Man, I'm just very glad that he got to make this film because the the background, you know what, so I think let me let me start off. The for those who don't know Monkey Man, it's a 2024 film um distributed by Universal, but it's the Fortell's directorial debut. This he I guess shot it um when COVID first broke out to like 21 or so. It's been in production for a long time. Netflix acquired it for 30 million, and after you know, they obviously screened it Netflix XX and whatever, they felt like it was too political for them because when you see the film, I don't know if we're doing spoilers or not, but when you see the film, you see why you know Netflix did not want to release this, and so it was shelved.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, I thought it might have been a bit political for them, especially in that 2021 landscape.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. And for a long time, you know, it was shelved, and Dev Patel was literally hawking hawking the film around to whoever you know would buy to whoever would take it, and it's kind of what's happening with um Coppola's metropolitan for the megalopolis, yeah, yeah. But obviously not similar because dev doesn't have that pool.
SPEAKER_05:Eventually he showed it to that pool and dev wasn't selling one for 10 years to get this movie made, bro.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, eventually he played it for Jordan Peel, who's acclaimed director, you know, three for three so far. Yeah, and he liked it so much, he pushed it to Universal. Netflix acquired this for 30, Universal got it for 10, and they released it um two weeks ago, and it's open to in the first week, they made 10.1, so they've already made their money back. Um yes, yeah. So that's that's a brief background. Um, what I was gonna say is I'm just so happy that you know we got to see this film because watching it, like sitting through it, you can see how much they've really put into this. Um when filmmaker actor combos, like when the director is in the cast, not on some M9 Chameland P, but like an actual lead in the film, in the actual lead.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it I think that's so hard. I feel like that's so hard. Like you're navigating something like that.
SPEAKER_04:But yeah, go of course.
SPEAKER_02:No, like you're you're staring the course, you're navigating, you're like, you know, trying to get good performances out of your fellow cast, but you're also one of the casts. It's like you're driving and you're doing the GPS and you're controlling the music and you're literally you know making sure people in the backseat are well fed. Like you're just like in charge of everything. I feel like that's so hard to come through, you know. Like I see BTSs of directors trying to show members on cast how to like you know read a line, like give them a line read, and they're always so frustrated. But then when you're the one in that position, I can't imagine like what that's like. But anyway, you can see how much they've really put into this role as an actor, and then as a creator, as the filmmaker, you can see all the creative choices, and how I'll talk more about this, but I just feel like I was I was very grateful that I got to see this, and you know, it did not disappoint at all for me. But yeah, that's my little intro.
SPEAKER_05:I think okay. So, my little intro on this is that I love the movie, and I'm very grateful that we got to see it in cinema and not like in your house on the couch Netflix.
SPEAKER_03:On Netflix, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Because the sounds quality, and just like if you don't have a 4K TV, I'm not gonna lie, it's I think it's not gonna hit the same way as like being in cinema. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Some of these shots are completely insane.
SPEAKER_05:Like insane, like the close-up shots, like the pullback, some of like the slow-mo, then transitions, like bro, like he's interacting with the environment, like the camera's interacting with the environment really well. Yeah, yes, it is. I think it's also like a bit of a chaotic element. But I think like to like flip into gears or switch gears into like what you were saying about the director being the the lead, I don't like it.
SPEAKER_03:You don't like it?
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, normally I'm I don't like it. Normally I don't like it. I think it worked for this film and it was good, and it's worked for some other films, but for me, it just comes off a bit like egotistical.
SPEAKER_02:I think you're like I feel like that's an argument that you can make for Maestra and I'll see. Not Monkey Man, it's not a glory piece, it doesn't feel like I feel like when that's not a glory piece, isn't it?
SPEAKER_05:I think like, yeah, you're right, like the content of the film or the type of film is like a thing. Because like Maestro was meant to be Oscar Bates and everything, so yeah, but like, and Monkey Man was for 100% sure not going to be Oscar Bates. But for me, it's just like you want to be so involved and so in control. I don't know, man. It just feels a bit bit narcissistic, a bit egotistical. Like, I rather have a little cameo from like M. Night Shamalayan or like you know, Stan B. Like, you know, you're involved in decision making of the film and like the acting choices, but you know, you have enough like you can take a breather, you know. Okay, yeah, you can take a breather, you can let the actors do what they want to do, or you just instruct them or you guide them, and then like you know, it's still your movie, and of course you love film, so you can sneak yourself in a little bit, like not in crazy. Okay, yeah, to be like the lead for me. I don't know. I just I've never loved it in a lot of films that it's done, but again, okay, this movie did it really well with like the physicality of the acting, and I don't know if this is a personal story to him in terms of like both the kind of role that it is and I guess general content. Yeah, so it's a great story, and I love like I think it was shot on location, so like that's another thing that's like really good and I guess like the action sequences, like the fighting, and just like the you know me, uh I love a good training montage, I love a good training montage, my guy.
SPEAKER_02:Bro, the action sequences that's actually so my review said like started off by saying there were so many baffling creative choices in the film, and a lot of them were so like like you used the word chaotic, and it's funny that you used that because that's the word I used to. It's like they were it was so chaotic. Um, you know how sometimes like when there's a like if there's a dance scene, there will be an actual like choreographer like doing the dance, not the director. I felt like this did not have someone who was well versed in you know fight scenes, or maybe it did, but the person was like maybe it's because of the way the camera was moving, because it was there's so many close-ups, we're not seeing like full-on body movements, it's literally a scene where the camera is zoomed in as there's a knife in someone's mouth stabbing another person, and it's like you're like you're missing into into the yeah, yeah, yeah. So like you're missing so much of the you know the body movement or like what's going on in the background. So I was just like baffled by the by a lot of the creative choices, but then as I sat with it, because it's pretty long, it's like two hours. Yeah, as I sat with it, I I realized like in the midst of all the chaos, that's where like that's the magic, you know, like the quote unquote lack of a method to the madness, and there's a lot of madness in this, like that is the method in and of itself. And when like it clicked for me that that was you know the baffling creative choices were the creative choice themselves, like I was able to see Patel's vision a lot more. But um, yeah, the action sequences, man, especially in that bar, like the final fight, like that whole that whole long, you know, 15 minute run, bro, sensory overload, man. That was that's all I felt.
SPEAKER_05:I think I'm not going to lie to you, I think it's very interesting why you're that you're bringing this up because this is one of my key points in my review of it. It's the movie was touted as Indian John Wick. Not by him, but by lazy critics, it was touted as Indian John Wick. And I I thought that was insane because there's nothing about this movie that gives him John Wick beyond wearing a black suit.
SPEAKER_03:Completely disagree, but go on, carry on.
SPEAKER_05:I think very much so, it is a revenge story, but he's not a train killer. In no way is he crazily experienced at killing, and that is why one of the major points of the film that literally extends the film, like the whole core of the film, extends it quite a bit.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Happens. And another reason why I don't believe like this is anything close to an Indian John Wick is that the amount of time spent in the world building it in contrast to the amount of actual fight scenes in this film, there are only like two to three fight scenes.
SPEAKER_07:Okay.
SPEAKER_04:And honestly, two of them happen in the same place.
SPEAKER_02:Okay.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:I think what you're trying well, I maybe know what you're trying to say, but what I'm hearing is there's more plot lines at play here than in John Week. John Wick has just one plot line. Something happens to John Wick, and he spends the whole rest of the runtime getting revenge for that. Right? There's more plot lines at play here.
SPEAKER_05:You know, there's more plot lines at play here.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. But the major, the major, the central theme.
unknown:Okay.
SPEAKER_02:The central theme, the central plot line is the basic John Wick story. Replace the first one, his dog Wick.
SPEAKER_05:Replace John Wick's dog. We're gonna drop some spoilers here. But I don't think so because the story, or especially like the chronological review of the story. Like his revenge story starts, let's say like 25, 30 years ago.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah. In comparison to John Wick's revenge story.
SPEAKER_02:Because John had the ability to get vengeance at the time. He didn't have the ability to get away.
SPEAKER_05:Well, I'm I will say this like John Wick's story or his revenge story is more so like, oh, let sleeping dogs lie. You do you woke the sleeping dog, so it's going to bite you. It's coming after you because you took away. His story is you stole my land, you killed my mother, like you're basically like putting people in this like religious cult while stealing their land and impoverishing the nation, and I'm one of the unfortunate people. So I feel like it's it's come it's like it's it's a completely different ball game. And the added benefit that he's not, and I think this is what I was trying to say earlier, but I don't think I got to this point. But him not being a skilled fighter, or like some kind of like he is a skilled fighter because he has he's done wrestling, so like you know, but his wrestling, he's he's basically a punching bag, you know, he's for fixing the matches, yeah.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:But in reality, like for the film itself, like he's nowhere on the level of like a John Wick. He's not a professional killer who has killed thousands of people. He's not some people have like, you know, they have songs and stories about that he's going to haunch stuff like this. He's one guy who's like very determined and had like you know a little bit of a pro wrestling, you know, that kind of fighting career, and he's always felt back. We don't know how strong he was. And honestly, you ask me, various points, he would have not gone to where he was if he did not have help. He did beat a lot of guys, yeah, realistically.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, he did.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, he did. He could have died multiple times, and that's I feel like that's where you also have like some of the chaos, the less clean fight scenes, the less like you know, perfectly choreographed shots, and like the mistake of not being able to like not being able to shoot a gun because you know he's more used to like if he's killing someone, it's not like oh I'm I have like this I've bypassed all like the moral problems or like the issues I can fight you. Maybe if I beat you up and okay, you're trying to kill me, okay. That's when I kill you. You know, apart from like humane guys, like really and truly, you know, those are the people that like I have my vengeance with. I'm like, yeah, like again, I can still kill you, but like it's like more of self-defense at this point, whereas with a gun, it's like okay, like I know exactly what I'm doing. I and you know, he tries that, he practices. You see him practicing and like trying to get over that whole like oh, I'm not used to having a gun, and we see him literally get his first gun.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:So, like, I think that's like the biggest difference between him and John Wick. For John Wick, like, yes, this is like this is a revenge story, but at the same in the same breath, you can really say it's like regular Tuesday for him. You get me.
SPEAKER_02:I I mean I like that. I like that you're choosing, or not choosing, you're you know, you don't want to you don't want it to be termed an Indian John Wick. And I think that's I think that's reductive. I just don't think it's lazy. Because bro, there's literally a dog man. Like there's there's similar there's similar plot, like there's similar plot lines.
SPEAKER_01:There's the suit, the act the killing, like a black suit, bro. Like what do you feel?
SPEAKER_02:That's why you can have that's at the at the final the final scene, the final you know, action sequences, he doesn't need to wear the suit then, right? He doesn't need exactly, but I just feel like like if there's if there's if there's similar things, which there are obviously like you've said, you know, we don't see we don't get scenes of John Wick practicing or learning because he's a seasoned killer, he's a contract killer, he's killed hundreds of people. But here we are seeing him, you know, fighting and boxing and you know, like practicing the punching back one, for example.
SPEAKER_05:We see him fighting. I think because multiple times.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. I think because um there was this Indian film that was on Netflix like three years ago called White Tiger. So when this started, I thought it was going to be like what it's what'd you say?
SPEAKER_05:I remember White Tiger, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:It was like a grass to grace theory. So when this started, I thought it was going to be a grass to gray story, which is funny because Patel was in Slum Dog Millionaire. So like some people were saying, Oh, this is you know Death Patel's Slum Dog Millionaire, even though he was already in that. But yeah, I thought it was going to be like another grass to gray story, and I'm like, why would he fight so much for this to be made? Like that doesn't, you know, it didn't convert to a grass to gray story.
SPEAKER_05:I think it's because like the trailer already, like you know, the trailer already would be.
SPEAKER_02:I didn't watch I didn't see the trailer.
SPEAKER_05:Really? Oh yeah. I I go into films find and I kind of knew what it was like I knew it was gonna be a fight story, I knew it wasn't gonna be a deeply. Yeah, yeah. I didn't expect this much of like the whole land I forgot what it's called, but like the land acquisition thing to be as big of a plot, yeah, you know, plot line along with like the religious cult thing and just like what happened to the other. I think one of my favorite things though was that he wasn't the film, wasn't they didn't make use of like sexual violence as part of like his motivators. Okay, his mother wasn't raped or anything or sold in sex trafficking, yeah. Like there were certain scenes where they like you know they teased you as if that was it, so you got like a little bit of like emotional reaction, like what's going on, then you find out what they actually did to his mother, and you're like, Oh, oh yes, yeah, yes, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:And I'm glad just because you say that, I'm glad um the the other dancer, the or escort, I don't know where exactly she was, wasn't key to the story. I I would have hated if they introduced like a love interest at that point.
SPEAKER_05:I said that as soon as I got out the film. I was like, I was so happy that they didn't like find some random love interest for him to like fall in love with, or like you know, their bonding over being at the bottom and like trying to make their way out.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that would have the real dip for me. Yeah, but yeah, so it back to like the politics of it. Um because like the similarities between the Indian Prime Minister Netanahu or whatever his name is and the cult leader, India is like you know, they're plagued with this caste system that if you're from a lower caste, you're just treated like nothing, which is very evident in the film. But then that's not what got me the most. Like I felt like the biggest um political plot line was the transgender people. Like that whole that little what the hijra. Oh, I don't know what they're called. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:They're the uh institutionalized gender of India.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, yeah. The whole it's literally like like you're watching an episode and an episode ends and a new one starts. It's a whole shift, it's yeah, a whole pivot into like, yeah, because again, like the screen literally goes black, bro.
SPEAKER_05:When he falls in the in the in the in the water, this I think you know you're seeing uh man, honestly, I almost felt like I was drowning too because like the water as soon as I fall in here, yeah. I was like, uh no, uh we haven't seen him in the all black suit. I'm sorry for anyone who didn't notice this, but like for me, whenever it's a movie or a TV show, I'm like, there's some parts of the trailer that we haven't seen. So as soon as you know that, you just know the story's not over.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I didn't I did not see the trailer, that's why. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:It's only like drama that they play like insane games like that, where they leave like a character that died in the intros. Oh. Yeah, stuff like that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. But that that pivot, it it ended up making it like it became once that pivot happened, it became the soul of the film. It became the heart and soul of the film. You know, that little thing, the drummer, the little thing that the drummer person was doing with their fingers, bro. It was moving me, bro. It was moving me so hard. And like the punching, like playing with the punching bag, that sequence, too. And I need to know what kind of physical work like Patel put into making a show. But yeah, I think that was necessary.
SPEAKER_05:Just wanted control over the film because of the amount of physicality in the acting.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Like, insane. The amount of things that he fell on or broke on or like had to be thrown on. Like, I'm like, no, I don't think like a lot of lead actors like this. So, like, for him to be the director of this story and like to like say, okay, yeah, I'm going to take the brunt of because I don't think anyone received as much of like physical like fall damage and stuff like that. And you know, maybe there was top men involved, but he received like quite a bit of like bruising on his own.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Yeah, it was it's it's but that's because like so I'm um when you when you talk about the director actor thing, I just keep going back to Creed, Creed 3, which uh Michael B. Jordan also directed. And but the difference is I guess Creed is more uh Michael B. Jordan might be more seasoned because he doesn't set like the film is about Creed, obviously, but he doesn't set the the storylines that exist outside of him. In Monkey Man, all the storylines are either like directly, he's either directly involved or they're like parallel to his yeah. So but like so I guess that's the that's the difference. So I can see where you're saying by you know it feels narcissistic or you know, it feels like you're taking a bunch of it because in Creed, you know, the his his up, the guy that um Joe Majors played, yeah, that he had his own storyline, his wife had their her own storyline, blah blah blah. But I think that's because um, for one, it's a franchise, you know, Creed has worked with these people before, he knows like there's already source material that he has to build up on. In this case, we're being if there was a sequel to this, let's just say there was a world in which there was a sequel to this, and Patel was still to direct it, then we're going to see less centeredness around him because there's other characters that have been introduced, and there's other you know, storylines that have stemmed from it, the transgender people have their own storyline that his friend, the guy that was driving the you know, for lack of a better term, like raid or something like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So there's other storylines, but because this is the setup and like it's a relatively unseasoned cast, like to the West, maybe in India they're big, but to the West it's a relatively unseasoned cast. Like the brunt of the work had to fall on him.
SPEAKER_05:I think it's interesting that you say that because I don't feel like Dev could tell like his performance in the film, like in terms of like regular acting minus like the physicality of the acting. I don't think he really outshun everyone by such a crazy gap.
SPEAKER_07:Okay.
SPEAKER_05:I think he had more screen time, but I think his mother amazing.
SPEAKER_03:His mother did good, she did good, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:She did amazing. Um by the lead that did not know that his name was not actually Bobby and just ran with it. Great stuff, dude. Great stuff.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. I don't know, man.
SPEAKER_02:The lead of the lead of the c I don't know, I keep forgetting what to call him, but the lead of the transgender people, she was a day, sorry, they were so because after he wakes up from the dead, um, they're giving a monologue about the two the dual the dual god, and it's like, oh, on the one half it's destruction, and the one half is on the other side is destruction, yeah. Yeah, and like after that, you know, they basically patch him back, you know, talk to uh talk to Dev about this, you know, cult that they're in, or this sect that they're in. And I don't want to say they replace his mom because obviously they don't provide the maternal love or what's the guidance that he has not had, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Like we see that he has not had guidance or community for a while.
SPEAKER_01:Yep, exactly.
SPEAKER_05:And it's one of the see him like actually smiling in the film, yes, bro.
SPEAKER_02:That's what I'm saying, yeah. And there's life, there's like life in his eyes, bro. When he went back to the to the boxing ring when you know they put the eviction notice on your front door, whatever, um, he was fighting with purpose. Unlike the other times where it felt like oh he was fighting to make money, but you know, his just bro, he defeats the cover man in like one punch.
SPEAKER_01:Bro, that that that bite that that was gas, bro. Or one kick, bro. That was gas.
SPEAKER_02:Um, and then he's just going and he's just going, and it's because he's followed by new purpose. He has new these people have been a family to him, they provided a safe haven for him, and you know, it's it gives him new life. That I don't think I don't think I don't see how Dev with the rest of the cast, he could have directed that performance out of another person, is what I'm trying to get at. So I I don't I don't have I don't I don't have those qualms per se with it. And then obviously the final piece being the transgender people becoming their own woman king army or black panther. Like I'm like, okay, I was not expecting this at all. They even have their own like fits and their costumes. So yeah, they said they were warriors, and like dev left a note that said, Remember who you are, it's time to remember who you are, and that woke something up in them. But I just did not see that one come. I think I was just pleasantly surprised by the film because I went in blind. I was pleasantly surprised by I know what Dev is capable of, but um, I haven't necessarily seen some of some of what he portrayed in this film. I haven't necessarily seen that. And I was just glad that we got to see the side of him. And I don't, it's not a real story, it's not based on the real story, but what you had said earlier, it feels like he's telling a story that's just so important to him. Even the city is fictional, but there's a lot of parallels with real life, like real life things in India that this feels very, very personal for him. And so I'm just glad that you know we got to see it in this way.
SPEAKER_05:I love I love the movie. I love it. Um random, random thing, but did you notice throughout the movie we don't know his name?
SPEAKER_02:Mm-hmm. The the casting says kid, that's just what they call him, I guess.
SPEAKER_04:I didn't look at the casting. I didn't know the report. I looked at the casting and you just said kid. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:I felt like that was incredibly powerful. Because, you know, the first time he attacks Rama, and you know, he gets away and everything, Rama goes to report to the religious guy, and he's like, Oh, do you know who his mother is? And like, you know, and he was like, Oh yeah, we've destroyed many kids before, or something like that. You know, the amount of people we've you know. And towards the end, he's like, I don't remember the direct the exact dialogue that happened. But Devotov basically reminds him that or he talks to Devital about how he's simply like Dev is like simply one of the many people. Like he's basically when he dies here, he's a martyr. Do you get me?
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Like he's just representing the people, there will there'll be others that rise, there will be others that and it was just very interesting to have like that kind of moving factor where it goes beyond like one single revenge story.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah, yeah. It's a complex theory, it's fine.
SPEAKER_02:That's crazy. I walked straight from there's a there's a theater near my office, so I literally just walked across the street and I wasn't even sure what film I was going to see.
SPEAKER_05:That's gonna be me a couple months. Now, everyone listening to the podcast, every movie that we review here that is out in cinemas, it is because I drove an hour and a half. Dune, you drove an hour and a half.
SPEAKER_01:You know, this is how you know commitment to the pod. The commitment to cinema. Commitment to the cinemas.
SPEAKER_02:But yeah, I feel like shout out monkey, shout out monkey king, monkey man.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, shout out monkey man. Great movie by Dev Patel. Would love you guys to watch this. Like I said earlier, I try to slide into Dev Patel's you know, DMs and say, hey, we'd love to have you on the pod. You know, don't I won't even know if I slid into the right Dev Patel's email? Just tapped in on IG, first thing I saw. So maybe there's a random Indian guy named Dev Patel. Oh fucking kill me. Either way, hope you guys have a great episode. You know, you we're enjoying the vibes. Uh our next episode is gonna be a summer preview. We're gonna run you through our list of anticipated movies and what we think is gonna be a banger versus what is not gonna be a banger. But Steve, right now, like off top of the head. That's gonna be hard.
SPEAKER_02:Off the top my head.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, tell me something. This one just one that you think is just is either gonna be controversial or you think it's gonna be fun. You think it's definitely gonna be the best one.
SPEAKER_02:Jesse Isenberg has a film, I don't know if it's out yet. He has a When You Finish Saving the World. That's what it's called. When you finish Saving the World, he premiered in one of I don't know which one, Sundance. I think it's Sundance, that's the one that's in January. By the way, Tiff is about to start, so there's gonna be some new stuff flooding the TL very soon. Um but when you finish saving the world, and I think I don't know what Jesse Ice, but I think his directorial debut as well. I don't know what he's like as a filmmaker, obviously, because I've never, you know, this is his debut. But as an actor, he's one of those guys that bro, I feel every like he's a he's a method actor, if that still exists. Um, and he really, really gets immersed in the role. Like it still exists, but there's no real real method actors, like the ones that we have, we people term them weirdos, you know, they killed Austin Butler, the Jeremy Strong had literally the New York Times put out uh um what's it called, the hits on Jeremy Strong, and they chastised him for months on end. So, like the real the the the real method actors that we have, they get chastised by the media. People love their Timothy Charlemagne and their who else is you know Paul Mesco, people that are just you know sad for a little bit and go back to living nothing like that.
SPEAKER_05:I don't know, man. I just like a guy who can wake up, come do his job, go back home.
SPEAKER_02:I love I I I don't know. I just I like people that get really, really immersed in the role with like regardless of the opportunity because that's not to say Timothy Chalamet doesn't get immersed, he does get immersed in the role, but I feel like method has left us with some like incredible speeches. Yeah, he he is like I'm not that's why I'm not saying as a slight, I'm just saying like I get what you mean as a method actor, you know, like you're forgoing whatever the opportunity cost is. What's his name? Jared Leto is another one. He gets chastised by society. I mean, granted, he's a real life weirdo, Jared Leto, but yeah, I just think method actors are not as appreciative.
SPEAKER_05:I hear what you're saying, but I think that interview or that question that they asked Sandra Heller on like Zone of Interest is like create a press tour where they were like, Well, how did you really get into that space? So it's like I I acted. Like, what did you do to get into that? Yeah, I don't, yeah. Because in my head, it's like, I understand, but at the end of the day, it's a job, and you got training for this job, yeah. So I don't know, man. You don't have to be weird outside the office. You get me? I'm just I'm having like call you a different name so you maintain being in the zone.
SPEAKER_02:Hey man, I'm just I'm just not going, I'm just not going to hate on like people that you know, whatever. But he's coming out with the film, and um, I haven't seen the trailer as well, but I read a couple reviews, and I think he's directing this in a way that he would act, so I just think that's going to be interesting to see.
SPEAKER_05:That's one very interesting because well this isn't an isn't an Apple TV review, but it's um a Hulu one. If you're if you want to brush up on some Jesse Eisenberg, I would say go watch Fleishman Is in Trouble. Based off the book Fleischman is in Trouble, I think. But it's an interesting movie from like the perspective of him and his co-lead. And it's a very man. You either love it or hate it, and like Claire Dan's does a great thing, Lizzie Kaplan is in it also. It's like a good cast. Even Josh Radnor from uh what's it called, How I Met Your Mother is in it.
SPEAKER_07:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Adam Brody. Yeah, it's a great cast.
SPEAKER_03:What did you say? What did you say it's called?
SPEAKER_05:Oh, it's called Fleischman is in trouble. It's on Hulu. It's like uh someone told me to watch it last year, and when I watched it, honestly, I felt like hasting them a little bit. Because emotional wreck.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, I'm adding that to my list. Emotional wreck. Emotional wreck, that's why you got me, bro.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, I know now, I know. But yeah, um, interestingly, I have a crazy shout. I think what's yours before we sign off, I'm happy that this is coming right at the end of the episode. So I can run away. But I think I think ah man. I can't cook, bro, cook, bro, cook. I don't feel like I should say this dog, but I think Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is gonna surprise us wild.
SPEAKER_02:I don't know why people are obsessed with monkeys and monsters, bro.
SPEAKER_05:It's not yeah, I don't know why they're obsessed with a new Godzilla movie every two years. I'm tired.
SPEAKER_04:Godzilla's been around, it's like what the 50s. Like I'm tired. People keep telling me to see Godzilla, bro. There was Godzilla last year, dad.
SPEAKER_05:I'm like, I will catch it on PSPO, and I'm not that's just my response. I don't even know if I'm actually catching it. Godzilla man is bang, though. I will say that.
SPEAKER_02:I got like that's what I've heard, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:I've heard but Godzilla vs. Kong, I'm tired. But I will say Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes feels like it's going to be great. It feels and like I don't know why I'm selling you this. I know, I know, but I feel like people consistently forget how good those movies are. Yeah, I feel like the movie comes out, Rise of the Planet of the Games comes out, we see how like Caesar and everything starts, and we're like, oh yeah, this is an interesting movie. Oh, by the end of the movie, you're like, damn, that was actually really fucking good. Yeah. And then the next one, then you like forget about it after like a couple of months, and you're like, oh, okay, yeah. Then you're like, you know, you talk with someone and you're like, what was that about? Why were we like into that? Then like the next movie comes out, or the trailer for the next one kind came out, and we're like making the second one with this. Like, this is kind of weird. Then everyone goes to see it, and we're like, oh, this action is a big thing. Oh my goodness, this action this bangs. Then again, the cycle, and I really think it's gonna come again, and insane. Insane. And you know one of my favorite. I'm definitely catching it. I'm definitely catching it. But I said one of my favorite things about it. I want to give us subtitles for the monkeys talking.
SPEAKER_00:Because I'm like, how did you know you said? How did you know you said bro?
SPEAKER_02:You are not a real person, bro.
SPEAKER_05:I'm like, why do I know what the monkey just said?
SPEAKER_02:On that note, it's been a great episode. Thank you for spending the last 45 minutes with us. I hope you had a good time. I hope you had a great time. See you guys.
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