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Sexy Beast

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Sexy Beast (2001)

June. 15,2001
|
7.3
|
R
| Drama Thriller Crime
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Ex-safecracker Gal Dove has served his time behind bars and is blissfully retired to a Spanish villa paradise with a wife he adores. The idyll is shattered by the arrival of his nemesis Don Logan, intent on persuading Gal to return to London for one last big job.

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Karry
2001/06/15

Best movie of this year hands down!

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ShangLuda
2001/06/16

Admirable film.

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Kirandeep Yoder
2001/06/17

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

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Logan
2001/06/18

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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Uwontlikemyopinion
2001/06/19

Frenzied, violent criminal associate Don Logan (Ben KIngsley) negotiates, and ultimately terrorizes, a happily retired safecracker Gary "Gal" Dove (Ray Winstone) for one last bank robbery. Does he accept?Jonathan Glazer blazes his way through this stylish, surrealistic gangster movie even though most of the film takes place at Gal's villa. Undeniably, the best moments are at the villa when Don screams, curses, and demands Gal for assistance in his scheme. Also, the bank robbery and airport scene stand out. What hasn't been said about Ben Kingsley's portray as Don Logan? It's pure dynamite and is the main recommendation for watching this film. Ray Winstone gives a tough and discreet performance. Although Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone provide stellar character portrayals, the film leaves a bad aftertaste. By bad aftertaste, I'm talking about the vicious sense of humor that is either an asset or hindrance to anyone viewing this film. To me, I find the comedy to be a hindrance because the humor relies on brutality, but is also deeply ironic. Mainly, the entertainment factor depends on personal preference. Same goes for the dream sequences. While the dream sequences give this film an edge in originality, the dreams sequences disturb the entire pacing and make the movie clumsy and odd.

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lasttimeisaw
2001/06/20

Let's assume you are a casting director, there are two roles: one is Gal, a retired safe-cracker enjoying the life of Riley in a beatific villa in Spain with his wife and friends; and the other is his former criminal associate Don Logan, a browbeating, invective-pelting psychopath who wills to recruit him to a new job and will not take no for answer. Then you are given two candidates: Mr. Gandhi himself, Sir. Ben Kingsley and a bovver heavy Ray Winstone, the choice is rather self- evident. However, that is not the case for UK scenester Jonathan Glazer when he begins to work on his feature film debut SEXY BEAST, who does the obverse, fingers Mr. Winstone for the hapless Gal and Mr. Kingsley for the rivetingly menacing Don Logan, a delectable volte-face rewardingly earns him an Oscar nomination, meantime, Winstone also magnificently brings about an incarnation very different from his usual image, a rough diamond type, graced by the lovey-dovey intimacy between him and his wife DeeDee Dove (Redman), an erstwhile porn star. It is a taut iteration in the UK gangster genre, the story is nothing too sparkling, it is Glazer's swift and impressive execution takes the full credit. The harbinger arrives in its opening, a boulder falls right in into the swimming pool of Gal's villa (which betrays a sloppy CGI burnished effort), while he is sunbathing under the blistering heat, this portends an impending threat which will disrupt the placidity and imperil those who cannot get away, Don Logan is coming to visit, and he will not be in a pleasant mood if he knows that Gal determines to decline his very generous offer. So sparks fly, but not without a droll war of (swearing) words and things will inevitably get physical, Kingsley's intimidating presence deviously pays off the looming dread simply elicited by the mention of his name, and after an ironical turn of events, he does manage to press-gang Gal into partaking in the action however reluctant he is, to break into a bank vault via water pressure, The suspense isn't swelling during the action, but after, when the head of the criminals, Teddy Bass (McShane, another great villain, less showy but infallibly lethal), a character turns out to be far more ruthless than Don Logan, bluffly tells Gal that "he knows what they did in Spain" and promises he will come to visit in the due future. Well, why there isn't a sequel to this? Parlaying his reputation as an eclectic music video director into this breakout debut, Glazer has concocted up a stunning-looking fare seeped with robust characterization, pulsating rhythm of montage, scintillating chromatic disposition and optimal pop taste, ultimately transmogrified it into a beguiling conglomerate of romanticism, perversity absurdity and bloody gallows humor like an arch cautionary tale: there is no easy way of going straight, so think twice before you get your feet wet!

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Spikeopath
2001/06/21

Sexy Beast is directed by Jonathan Glazer and written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto. It stars Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, Cavan Kendall, James Fox and Julianne White. Music is by Roque Baños and cinematography by Ivan Bird. Retired to the Costa del Chill Out, retired thief Gary 'Gal' Dove (Winstone) finds his tranquil existence shattered when menacing gangster Don Logan (Kingsley) arrives on the scene demanding Gal goes back to London to do another job. 2000 saw a slew of British gangster films released. The success of Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels opened the door for film makers keen to do their bit for Brit Grit. As is always the way, quality varies, but the class of 2000 had a healthy rate of good 'uns, of which Sexy Beast is a proud operator. The story is very thin, very film noir, an ex bad boy doing one last job that risks everything he has settled down for, but there's a panache to how the makers construct the tale. It helps that it's boosted by a ferocious performance from Kingsley, who is given licence to unleash his dark half, as he swears, stares, gets violent and has a general disregard for anyone but himself. Director Glazer, in what was his film after breaking out from advertisements and music videos, shows a keen eye for stylist visuals and attention grabbing scenes. He opens with an outrageous sequence of Gal sun bathing by his pool, the sun burning down, and then a giant boulder thunders into view and land in the pool! All set to the sound of The Stranglers single Peaches. Quite a way to announce yourself in film. The first half of film is the best, set at Gal's Spanish villa, Glazer neatly frames the characters (Gal lives with his wife and his two friends from England live nearby) as they bicker and cower in the shadow of Logan, who wouldn't be beyond sending them all to hell if he doesn't get his way. It's sweaty and tense, a coiled spring like atmosphere tells us something is going to give - and it does. The second half of the piece is not so tense or thrilling, though the robbery has a whiff of genius about it, but the pay off works well because Gal has earned our respect, as has his fellow sun seekers. Sexy Beast is not just sexy (tongue in cheeks for the makers), it's beefy and brutal, but also strangely beautiful as well. Nice. 8/10

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Prismark10
2001/06/22

Much is talked about Ben Kingsley's casting as thuggish gangster Don Logan that people forget the other actors with roots in crime or gangster films.James Fox played ruthless Chas in Performance, Ian McShane appeared in Villain and Dirty Money and Ray Winstone has been playing villains of some sort since he was teenager such as films like Scum.Winstone plays Gal a retired safe-cracker living out in Spain with his wife and other ex-con friends. However it seems he is being lured out of retirement by Logan which causes fear amongst the group and soon Logan turns up in Spain to personally request that Gal comes to London and he is not a person you say no to. There begins a cat and mouse game and you see that Logan is unhinged switching from being friendly to explosive with sudden surges of violence.Winstone actually plays the nicest guy in the film, he just wants a quiet life with his wife and his pot of stolen loot. Kingsley, that nice Gandhi bloke strips him psychologically with threats, actual and implied, his wife's past as a porn star.The film is strong on language, it does suffer a bit too much with it at times as every other word is peppered with it. There is dark humour although the film does not take the path of comedy cockney villains that some British gangster films like to do. It relies on performances, Winstone underplays enough to let Kingsley shine in his supporting role, a part which took many by surprise because he does not play those roles.

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