Wow! What a beautifully shot movie! The cinematography is great, the direction is spectacular, and the film feeds off the intensity of Ben Kingsley. "Sexy Beast" was unknown to me until Kingsley got his nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 2001.
--George
Sexy Beast
Directors: Jonathan Glazer
Producers: Jeremy Thomas
Writers: Louis Mellis, David Scinto
Features: Commentary by Ben Kingsley and producer Jeremy Thomas; Featurette; Theatrical trailers; Anamorphic widescreen (aspect ratio 1.85:1); Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Surround, English Dolby Surround; Subtitles: English, Spanish
Characters:
Gal - Ray Winstone
Don Logan - Ben Kingsley
Teddy Bass - Ian McShane
Deedee - Amanda Redman
Genre: Drama
Review:
Wow! What a beautifully shot movie! The cinematography is great, the direction is spectacular, and the film feeds off the intensity of Ben Kingsley. "Sexy Beast" was unknown to me until Kingsley got his nomination for Best Supporting Actor for 2001. Now, I thought that Ian McKellan did great as Gandalf, and I didn't see "Iris" (who did????), but I can say that the Best Supporting Actor category was a tough one. Kingsley sizzled on screen playing one of the most brutal villians in films recently.
Fox did well with the features, as a commentary track was available as well as a featurette. The sound was great with a soundtrack that was fantastic. That opening scene along with the airport scene were Kingsley is hustling down the walkway are both amazing. The picture was crisp and there were no annoying transfers to distract from the great shots Glazer used in the film.
"Sexy Beast" centers around Gal (Winstone), who is a retired gangster who is living the life up with his wife, Deedee (Redman), in Spain. The opening sequence starts with Gal sunbathing when suddenly a boulder comes crashing down the hill into the pool and nearly kills him. This all sets up a series of events, including a nightmare with a beast holding an uzi, that foreshadows the dread that is supposed to come. That ominous feeling is confirmed by some friends at dinner.
Don Logan (Kingsley - "Ghandi") is coming into town to persuade Gal to do another job. Deedee is completely against it, but she is not alone. Gal himself is enjoying retirement and doesn't want to do the job. Don shows up and immediately there is tension in the air. Gal tells Don, "No," but Don is unrelenting. The fierceness and brutality that Don shows to those around him puts both Gal and Deedee on edge as to what Don will do when he finally realizes that Gal won't do the job. The threat comes down from a more sinister character than Don, named Teddy Bass (McShane) who is a head honcho in the gangster business. Will Gal end up doing the job by force?
Kingsley has a "tour-de-force" performance and the movie does ebb and flow with his presence on the screen. When he is not in a scene, the movie's drive is somewhat lessened. For 90 minutes, this film does not go too fast nor too slow. The pacing is done well, and two shots in particular are amazing. The boulder shot and the smoke shaped heart is another. Even the flames on the grill give this film a slight surealism that goes well with the story. I was a little curious as to whether there were any homosexual undertones regarding Gal and his pool boy, but that seemed a side issue.
Many people have been confused by the title, "Sexy Beast." There is only one literal beast, and it is not sexy. The other beast could be Don, but he isn't very sexy either. Maybe it's referring to Winstone, but I'm not sure that's right either. The commentary didn't hint at the true answer, but I have my own conclusion. The title should be thought of as two separate words "Sexy. Beast." The film itself is shot "sexy" with great camera perspectives and fantastic scenery. The "beast" part could refer to any of the main characters as none of them are angels, even Gal. This explains the title to me, in my opinion.
I would rate "Sexy Beast" with four and a half stars out of five. It takes just a little while to get used to the Cockney English, but once you do the film really gets going. Some females may need to beware that they are not offended as the "c-word" is used a LOT (you know which word I mean...it rhymes with bunt). Profanity mainly comes from Kingsley, but it is pretty well used by others too. This film is definitely worth renting, but you might consider owning it. The film is worth watching just to see Kingsley rant.
---George Castillo