This should not be compared to over-rated rubbish like Lock Stock... Sexy Beast is an interesting and grown-up crime thriller, thick on style and character. The story is all about loyalty and betrayal, a two act story involving retired hood "Gal" Dove (Ray Winstone), living the good life in a Spanish villa, he has it all, good friends, a good woman by his side, nothing could ruin this, that is until Don Logan (Ben Kingsly) arrives with a proposition.
I'm not going to go into the second act, because it will only ruin the surprise of the film, all I can say is that Sexy Beast if top notch entertainment. The two main characters are fantastic, Winstone's subtle performance has been overlooked by most, possibly down to Kingsly's terrifying portrayal of Logan, who would have thought he could be so electrifying, the scene where he talks to himself in the mirror is brilliant. But Winstone is just as good; you can almost smell his fear.
The rest of the characters are slightly under developed, Ian McSahne's crime lord Teddy Bass is practically a caricature of every London hood that's ever been portrayed. But first time director Jonathan Glazer makes up for that with his assured handling of the actors and the material, never letting his pop promo roots (Radiohead, Blur) take over the story. There are many surreal sequences in this film, which might be off putting to some, but for the most part Sexy Beast is a great way to pass ninety minutes.
7/10
I'm not going to go into the second act, because it will only ruin the surprise of the film, all I can say is that Sexy Beast if top notch entertainment. The two main characters are fantastic, Winstone's subtle performance has been overlooked by most, possibly down to Kingsly's terrifying portrayal of Logan, who would have thought he could be so electrifying, the scene where he talks to himself in the mirror is brilliant. But Winstone is just as good; you can almost smell his fear.
The rest of the characters are slightly under developed, Ian McSahne's crime lord Teddy Bass is practically a caricature of every London hood that's ever been portrayed. But first time director Jonathan Glazer makes up for that with his assured handling of the actors and the material, never letting his pop promo roots (Radiohead, Blur) take over the story. There are many surreal sequences in this film, which might be off putting to some, but for the most part Sexy Beast is a great way to pass ninety minutes.
7/10