Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not Exactly Noel Coward, May 27, 2003
Lovers of bright, airy, farcical British humor are apparently not Jonathan Glazer's target audience. If you enjoy the occasional foray into the dank, dark underbelly of grimy black comedy, however, this should be right up your alley. No plot spoilers here, but would say that there are certain parallels between what befalls the evil, soul-chomping antagonist, Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) and what eventually happens to the equally insensitive British mobster, Albert Spica (Michael Gambon) in Peter Greenaway's The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover. Kingsley is definitely the menacing lynchpin holding this movie together, though Ian McShane is not far behind him in his portrayal of a believably evil crime lord. Ray Winstone is an inspiration to middle-aged, beer-bellied Buddhas everywhere. Amanda Redman is a revelation as Gal's ex-porn star spouse. She plays the slow boil to perfection. Julian White is also superb playing the wife of Gal's slightly dim buddy, Aitch. Which brings us to one of the minor qualifiers I have to warn viewers about. Unless you've grown up in one of the grubbier, East End sections of London, a lot of the dialogue is going to be incomprehensible to you. This is particularly true of Aitch (Cavan Kendall, Kay Kendall's brother). I would definitely recommend the DVD, as opposed to the VHS purchase, as the DVD has a subtitle feature. I can honestly say I was lost without it, before I utilized the function. Kendall also mumbles his lines, as do several other characters. Mumbling and thick, cockney accents do not make for easy comprehension on the part of American viewers. This film has a workmanlike plot, with strong performances from all hands. It's great, gritty, black comedy. The funniest thing I've heard for a while is the statement made by Kingsley that he based his character of Don Logan on his grandmother. She must have been quite a lady! I've also discovered, via IMDB, that there may be a link between the guy in the bunny suit and the anti-Harvey in Donnie Darko. BEK
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25 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sometimes it is hard to say no. Especially to Don Logan., January 15, 2004
On the commentary track for "Sexy Beast" director Jonathan Glazer reduces the film to the level of a Greek myth wherein once upon a time there was a man who thought he was happy and the gods sent him the unhappiest man on earth. It is the later figure, the gangster Don Logan, performed by Ben Kingsley in an Oscar nominated role, that dominates every moment on screen where he either appears or simply is being talked about, but the former, Ray Winstone as "retired" safecracker Gary "Gal" Dove, is a compelling, but much more subtle, character as well. Gal is living the good live in his villa in Spain, sunning himself by the pool, when something happens that we soon understand is clearly a warning shot from the gods. Gal is happy in his retirement, married to the woman he loves (Amanda Redman), who happens to be a former porn star. Then word comes than Don is on his way with a offer that Gal intends to refuse. However, nobody says "no" to Don Logan. The scenes between Gal and Don in this script by Louis Mellis and David Scinto strike me as what Harold Pinter would produce if he was writing about gangsters and went overboard on the profanity. A conversation with Don is taking your life into your hands and Gal knows it, quietly dancing around the fatal rejection for as long as he can. Kingsley's Don is one of the scariest men ever to appear in a film, although I am not sure how much of that has to be the sheer shock at the idea that it is "Gandhi" on the screen who is launching into foul-mouthed tirades and radiating danger with every look and action (all without ever having a gun in his hand, I should add). This performance is astounding, and if it is unexpected that is only because we have taken Sir Ben for granted for a long time. Kingsley lost the Best Supporting Actor Oscar to Jim Broadbent, who had an advantage with strong performances in "Moulin Rouge" and "The Diary of Bridget Jones" to go along with the one for which he won in "Iris," but this is an unforgettable performance, assuming you get around to seeing the film. Kingsley's performance is so overwhelming that you may well fail to notice how strong Winstone is as the film's lead. After all, it is Gal who is the title character, but Winstone's performance is so understated that it is can be rather underwhelming, especially in the face of Kingsley's performance. The other thing that almost gets lost is the plot, because there is something that can be gotten if only there is the will, because the way will be right behind. The caper is just crazy enough to make sense given the proceedings and we have to keep in mind that no matter how much of a mad dog Don Logan might be, there is somebody holding his leash at the other end. "Sexy Beast" is a very good film with more than one outstanding performance, but it is not going to be to everyone's taste given the violence and the profanity, although both are true to the world of these characters.
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23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sexy Beast - gangster heist film at its finest !, June 23, 2001
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.
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