"Sexy Beast" is not your standard British crime flick of the last five or so years. Steering away from the (often overly) stylized view of films like "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels", "Sexy Beast" leans more towards its outstanding ensemble cast to carry it along. While it could be accused of being occasionally slow, it is a superbly scripted film, ultimately saving it from cliche and over familiarity.
Gary 'Gal' Dove (Ray Winstone) is a former bank robber, who has unofficially retired from the 'game'. He lives in his villa in baking hot Spain, spending his hours working on his tan, swimming in his pool and generally doing nothing much. It's just him, his wife Dee Dee (Amanda Redman), his friend Aitch (the late Cavan Kendall) and Aitch's partner Jackie (Julianne White). The life he used to know is no more and he can relax for the rest of his life. Or so he thinks.
Enter English hardman and former associate of Gal, Don Logan (Ben Kinsley). Don's in Spain to get Gal to do one more job, on the behalf of London crime lord, Teddy Bass (Ian McShane). Gal's reluctance to return to the UK for one more job is not what Don wanted to hear...
Much of the film is built around the extremely intense verbal sparring between Don and Gal. Movie buffs who like to remember Ben Kingsley as the pacifist Gandhi will be in for an real shock when they see him as Don Logan! He is superb as the psychopathic hardman, who does not take no for an answer, ever. Winstone is great as Gal, he has that weathered look to him, not on a physical level, but mentally. He really has had enough of the life and wants out. The strain on his life when Don reappears is superbly shown by Winstone.
Supporting cast members like Redman and McShane add real weight to the two main characters. Redman, whose role is small, is impressive as Gal's loving but worried partner and McShane is brilliantly evil as Teddy Bass. Fans of McShane's British TV series "Lovejoy" will also be surprised how easily he can shift between debonair and downright dastardly.
Director Glazer has a good hold on the film. His depictions of both Spain and the UK couldn't be anymore spot on. Largely he lets the film be carried by Kingsley and Winstone, which is a good idea.
So in all, a fine film with a slighlt muddled ending. A worthwhile excursion from the sometime cartoon nature of more recent British crime films. Recommended.
Gary 'Gal' Dove (Ray Winstone) is a former bank robber, who has unofficially retired from the 'game'. He lives in his villa in baking hot Spain, spending his hours working on his tan, swimming in his pool and generally doing nothing much. It's just him, his wife Dee Dee (Amanda Redman), his friend Aitch (the late Cavan Kendall) and Aitch's partner Jackie (Julianne White). The life he used to know is no more and he can relax for the rest of his life. Or so he thinks.
Enter English hardman and former associate of Gal, Don Logan (Ben Kinsley). Don's in Spain to get Gal to do one more job, on the behalf of London crime lord, Teddy Bass (Ian McShane). Gal's reluctance to return to the UK for one more job is not what Don wanted to hear...
Much of the film is built around the extremely intense verbal sparring between Don and Gal. Movie buffs who like to remember Ben Kingsley as the pacifist Gandhi will be in for an real shock when they see him as Don Logan! He is superb as the psychopathic hardman, who does not take no for an answer, ever. Winstone is great as Gal, he has that weathered look to him, not on a physical level, but mentally. He really has had enough of the life and wants out. The strain on his life when Don reappears is superbly shown by Winstone.
Supporting cast members like Redman and McShane add real weight to the two main characters. Redman, whose role is small, is impressive as Gal's loving but worried partner and McShane is brilliantly evil as Teddy Bass. Fans of McShane's British TV series "Lovejoy" will also be surprised how easily he can shift between debonair and downright dastardly.
Director Glazer has a good hold on the film. His depictions of both Spain and the UK couldn't be anymore spot on. Largely he lets the film be carried by Kingsley and Winstone, which is a good idea.
So in all, a fine film with a slighlt muddled ending. A worthwhile excursion from the sometime cartoon nature of more recent British crime films. Recommended.