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 It's either a terrific movie with these qualities:Hidden very subtle humor. Characters we are challenged to focus on despite the fact they are not physically attractive. Characters we are challenged to care about despite the fact they are morally complex and maybe more odious than otherwise. Characters we are challenged to grasp despite the fact they are multi-dimensional. A story that does not follow the Hollywood 3-act system. A story that challenges us to distinguish the present from the past. A story that challenges us to understand the plot without backstory or exposition. It's either all that. Or it's pretentious trash. Despite Ben Kingsley's good work, I am in the latter camp. I was actively bored for the first hour; not restless; bored. I did not respect the many scenes with people walking "as if they had a purpose" (many such scenes; filler or what?). I found the music abrupt, disruptive, very distracting, and obviously manipulative, telling us precisely how to feel, like the worst Hollywood drivel/dreck. I cared about no one. I disrespect the filmmakers latching on to the kitschy trend of sticking an old Dean Martin Capitol record on closing credits. ("Hey, how about a Dean Martin song to close a British movie?" "Coo-ulll idear. Very cree-ay-tiv.") One example of how bad the movie is: We first see Ben Kingsley in profile, walking "as if he had a purpose," walking in a predatory march, in profile. Fine, I get it. --CUT TO: He is a passive, semi-relaxed passenger in a car. Does this mean he's multi-dimensional (predatory and/or passive) and we should pay attention? Or does it tell me the director and writer were very confused? I wanted to like this movie. I couldn't wait for it to end!
Gal and his other English ex-patriates have retired from the crime scene of London to the sunny coast of Spain. Here they live a life of leisure and contentment, until storm cloud in the person of Don Logan looms on their once sunny horizon. Logan appears as an unstoppable force of violence determined for Gal to return with him to London for one last heist. The relaxed air of the seaside Shangri-la is suddenly thick with tension and dread. Paradise has been lost. The film moves on to London where we meet the menacing crime boss Teddy Bass who persents a different level of evil than Don Logan. A creative heist occurs and then Gal must find his way back to Spain. I feel that the film peaks in the middle with the arrival of Logan then peters out toards the end. When Don Logan is not involved in certain scenes after his arrival, the level of electricity dimminishes somewhat. Another item that can make this a difficult film are the thick Cockneye accents which take a while to acclimate to. Overall, this a a pretty entertaining flick, with good performances, a well done plot and a performance of lifetime from Kingsley.
Man! Kingsley gave me the creeps the moment the back of his bulging bald head 1st appears. He is even scarier than Joe Pesci in GOODFELLAS. The looks of Kingsley's Logan with bald head & veins popping and goatee could make him pass for an older but supermenacing Stone Cold Steve Austin of the WWF! Even the sight of Logan urinating on the rug (in Gal's villa!) gave me goosebumps. He would kill Tony Soprano with his bloody stare! SEXY BEAST is MY Sopranos! This is MY SCARFACE! Give Ben who once played Gandhi an Oscar nomination. Just give him the ... Oscar! And Ray Winstone is sooooooooo terrific here. He is on a roll after his other flicks NIL BY MOUTH & THE WAR ZONE. It was also great to see another fine Brit actor Ian McShane (remember LOVEJOY on cable's A&E?) as a gay mobster w/ 1 sinister sm:)e. I adore his all black business suits and sleek trenchcoat. SEXY BEAST is a job well done by music video director Jonathan Glazer who shows us 1 of the most bizarre (underwater) bank robberies I've ever seen. I won't give much but don't you think Winstone and the robbers should've drained the Turkish bath pool that's next to the bank first? I am still putting this classic in my Top 3 Best Films of 2001 and it is only June. Hope it will be honored @ Oscar time in 2002. |
Sexy Beast is a likable(but dark) English Mob film with a special ingrediant. Ben Kingsley plays Don Logan, who is perhaps the most memorable, over the top character to appear in a film since Dennis Hopper's Frank Booth in Blue Velvet.
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.
