Sexy Beast

Released 2000
Stars Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, Cavan Kendall, Julianne White
Directed by Jonathan Glazer

A retired British gangster (Ray Winstone) is trying to keep out of a London heist, despite the efforts of Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) a goateed, shaved-headed pit bull of a gangster in this raw, startling film that grabs your attention and never lets go. Gary "Gal" Dove lounges at his villa on Costa del Sol, with not a care in the world, until his Mediterranean paradise is interrupted by Logan, just arrived to recruit Gal for a London heist led by mob boss Teddy Bass (Ian McShane). Gal refuses the job; Logan won't hear it. He's human nitroglycerine, ready to explode at the slightest provocation, spewing Cockney profanities like armor-piercing bullets. Sexy Beast presents him as hilarious and horrifying, a soloist whose instrument is pure, bilious rage.

Kingsley's volatile performance--the polar opposite of his Oscar®-winning role in Gandhi--expands the actor's range into startlingly unexpected territory. It's the white-hot center of Sexy Beast, but the feature debut of director Jonathan Glazer is equally noteworthy for the performance of the lesser-known Winstone, and also for Glazer's brass-knuckle approach to what is, essentially, a conventional gangland thriller. Glazer's instincts aren't always sound (dream sequences involving a hideous man-rabbit prove a bit too peculiar), but with pugilistic rhythm and a humorous knack for combining well-chosen songs and a rough, kinetic visual style, Sexy Beast is a wild ride.

Summary by Jeff Shannon

I really enjoyed this flick because of its tension, but I think too much may have been made about Ben Kingsley's performance. People raved and raved and raved about it. It was definitely good, but I think it was overblown. I'm sure people were shocked by seeing Gandhi behave like Jules in "Pulp Fiction," which is why it received so much attention. I can understand the hype, though, because the performance dominates the movie, and it's fun to watch Ben Kingsley in this role.

The movie is interesting in how it starts with the retired gangster being asked to come out of retirement. Usually the criminal is persuaded to go for one more score or the good guy is persuaded to unretire. We always know the persuasion is going to work, or there wouldn't be a movie. In this case, however, there isn't a guarantee it's going to work, and the decision itself takes two-thirds of the movie. It was an interesting twist in how to build the tension, and it rendered the caper almost meaningless. Instead of being a caper flick, it's a story about the redemptive power of love. About the people who have it, like Gal, Deedee, Aitch, and Jackie, and those who seek it, like Don Logan. Then there's crime boss Teddy Bass, who will do anything to set up a big score. When I say anything, I mean ANYTHING. --Bill Alward, May 20, 2002