No plot spoilers here, but would say that there are certain parallels between what befalls the evil, soul-chomping antagonist, Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) and what eventually happens to the equally insensitive British mobster, Albert Spica (Michael Gambon) in Peter Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. Kingsley is definitely the menacing lynchpin holding this movie together, though Ian McShane is not far behind him in his portrayal of a believably evil crime lord. Ray Winstone is an inspiration to middle-aged, beer-bellied Buddhas everywhere. Amanda Redman is a revelation as Gal's ex-porn star spouse. She plays the slow boil to perfection. Julian White is also superb playing the wife of Gal's slightly dim buddy, Aitch.
Which brings us to one of the minor qualifiers I have to warn viewers about. Unless you've grown up in one of the grubbier, East End sections of London, a lot of the dialogue is going to be incomprehensible to you. This is particularly true of Aitch (Cavan Kendall, Kay Kendall's brother). I would definitely recommend the DVD, as opposed to the VHS purchase, as the DVD has a subtitle feature. I can honestly say I was lost without it, before I utilized the function. Kendall also mumbles his lines, as do several other characters. Mumbling and thick, cockney accents do not make for easy comprehension on the part of American viewers.
This film has a workmanlike plot, with strong performances from all hands. It's great, gritty, black comedy. The funniest thing I've heard for a while is the statement made by Kingsley that he based his character of Don Logan on his grandmother. She must have been quite a lady! I've also discovered, via IMDB, that there may be a link between the guy in the bunny suit and the anti-Harvey in Donnie Darko.
BEK
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I went to Sexy Beast last night not knowing too much about it except for the fact that Ben Kingsley was in it playing a gangster. As the movie progressed I watched in awe at how good this film actually was and couldn't help still thinking about it the next day. The plot is about an ex-gangster Gal (Ray Winstone) who is retired from his life of crime and wants nothing but to lay in the sun near his pool all day. Until a pyschotic figure from his past Don (Ben Kingsley) comes to his villa to try and persuade him into doing one last job. Although this sounds like your typical gangster plot, it is given a fresh spin by the films director Jonathon Glazer. He gives the crime/heist genre a new approach and really makes you think about the images he throws at you. As the movie moves forward towards the climax Mr. Glazer grabs you by the throat and holds you captive with tension until you sit forward and bite your nails. I couldn't help thinking that Jonathon is the kind of director who could be the offspring of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. The radical editing techniques and cool imagery also add to the atmosphere of this movie. The film is wrapped up in oscar worthy performances by Kingsley & Winstone. Not only am I convinced that Kingsley can play any role now but he easily makes my top 20 actor list now. No villan can be complete without the hero and newcomer Ray Winstone who plays Gal steps up to the plate brilliantly. I see lots of work ahead for these two actors. The only thing I disliked about this movie is that the British accents we're so thick sometimes, that it was hard to follow in places. It gets easier to understand as you get into the characters and by 20 minutes into the movie I was all set. If your looking for a great movie in this sea of summer garbage tread to a good megaplex and find this movie.Best Deals for Sexy Beast (2001)
On the commentary track for "Sexy Beast" director Jonathan Glazer reduces the film to the level of a Greek myth wherein once upon a time there was a man who thought he was happy and the gods sent him the unhappiest man on earth. It is the later figure, the gangster Don Logan, performed by Ben Kingsley in an Oscar nominated role, that dominates every moment on screen where he either appears or simply is being talked about, but the former, Ray Winstone as "retired" safecracker Gary "Gal" Dove, is a compelling, but much more subtle, character as well. Gal is living the good live in his villa in Spain, sunning himself by the pool, when something happens that we soon understand is clearly a warning shot from the gods. Gal is happy in his retirement, married to the woman he loves (Amanda Redman), who happens to be a former porn star. Then word comes than Don is on his way with a offer that Gal intends to refuse. However, nobody says "no" to Don Logan.The scenes between Gal and Don in this script by Louis Mellis and David Scinto strike me as what Harold Pinter would produce if he was writing about gangsters and went overboard on the profanity. A conversation with Don is taking your life into your hands and Gal knows it, quietly dancing around the fatal rejection for as long as he can. Kingsley's Don is one of the scariest men ever to appear in a film, although I am not sure how much of that has to be the sheer shock at the idea that it is "Gandhi" on the screen who is launching into foul-mouthed tirades and radiating danger with every look and action (all without ever having a gun in his hand, I should add). This performance is astounding, and if it is unexpected that is only because we have taken Sir Ben for granted for a long time. Kingsley lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Jim Broadbent, who had an advantage with strong performances in "Moulin Rouge" and "The Diary of Bridget Jones" to go along with the one for which he won in "Iris," but this is an unforgettable performance, assuming you get around to seeing the film.
Kingsley's performance is so overwhelming that you may well fail to notice how strong Winstone is as the film's lead. After all, it is Gal who is the title character, but Winstone's performance is so understated that it is can be rather underwhelming, especially in the face of Kingsley's performance. The other thing that almost gets lost is the plot, because there is something that can be gotten if only there is the will, because the way will be right behind. The caper is just crazy enough to make sense given the proceedings and we have to keep in mind that no matter how much of a mad dog Don Logan might be, there is somebody holding his leash at the other end. "Sexy Beast" is a very good film with more than one outstanding performance, but it is not going to be to everyone's taste given the violence and the profanity, although both are true to the world of these characters.
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There's a line in a Monty Python sketch about the effect a criminal has on his underlings: "I've seen men pull their own heads off rather than see Doug." That's the effect the news that Don Logan is coming to town has on retired criminal Gal. Gal's settled into his relaxing, lazy days under the Spanish sun, until a boulder the size of a small house flies over his head and rolls into his treasured swimming pool. Can you say "symbolic foreshadowing," boys and girls?...because Don Logan's about to slam into Gal's leisurely life with all the force and violence of a landslide, sent to recruit Gal out of retirement for one last heist, and absolutely NOT taking "no" for an answer .In a movie where much of the first half consists of conflict through dialogue (it's almost a stage play in set-up), the performances are key, and "Sexy Beast" has no weak links. Ray Winstone has the unenviable task of holding his own against Ben Kingsley, and succeeds uncannily without resorting to caricature. His fear is palpable--you can almost smell the sweat at his being cornered like a rabbit with no way to break out. Even perennial TV guest star Ian McShane excels in the role of a slick and cunning criminal boss, a performance that breaks out of his usual pattern and won't remind you in the least of Lovejoy (McShane's most famous character, the genial art forger/detective).
But the standout performance is, of course, Ben Kingsley. Kingsley is brilliant as the manic, menacing Logan: fulfills the standard cliché of performing "a role that will surprise you"-Don Logan is sort of role Michael Caine made an icon in 1960s movies like the original "Get Carter"-tough, brutal, smooth, sexy, manipulative, and more than a little bit of a maniac: a man you don't say "no" to if you want to survive. The whole movie, in fact, has the feel of a 1960s British crime drama like "Get Carter" with the modern sensibilities of directors of today like Guy Ritchie. The movie may be a little too much a crime-genre film to garner Academy Award nominations, but both Kingsley's and Winstone's performances are worthy of an Oscar nod as a driven hunter and his prey.
Although once it gets to the heist itself, innovative as it is, the main drive of the film is lessened. Once Kingsley's off the screen, I began fidgeting, waiting for his return, and McShane's character matching wits with Gal is no substitute for vicious Don Logan. But that's the sole weak spot in an exceptionally powerful, dark-humored, violent but stylish movie that's not so much a heist caper as it is a sharp and penetrating look at the violence men visit on each other...and on themselves.
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Is 'Sexy Beast' drama or comedy? It doesn't matter, really, because it has a whole lot of both. Directed by Jonathan Glazer (a rising director of Guiness beer commercial fame), what makes this movie engrossing is the mentally (and sometimes physically) abusive relationship between retired criminal Gal (Ray Winstone) and the notorious Don Logan (Ben Kingsley). The entire first act foreshadows what's to come, and the sense of fear and dread, balanced by an ever-diminishing feeling of whimsy, is almost tangible.This is a film that's worthwhile if only for the acting. Ben Kingsley's role is quite a departure from the benevolent, fatherly figures he's played in 'Gandhi' and the more recent 'AI'. He is, quite simply, stunning in this movie he takes a character that everyone hates beyond words, who is so evil, crude, and determined, and makes him into one of the most powerful villains I've ever seen. I can't remember the last time I *hated* a character so much (but in a good way). Of course, Kingsley has a lot to play off with Ray Winstone's understated performance. Winstone balances Kingsley's obnoxious character; he quietly wares through the mental torture his character must endure. The cast of 'Sexy Beast' is incredible.
This isn't a movie for everyone... there are some very dark and violent moments, some sincerely funny moments, and at times the movie is a bit bizarre. I have to hand it to Jonathan Glazer, though, for making a movie that takes some artistic risks with an unconventional approach that, in my opinion, really pays off.
