Customer Reviews
"There's this bloke, who knows a bloke, who knows a bloke." - By: Mr. S. Ogley, 22 Mar 2008 
One thing we can alll agree on, whether you hate or love this country, we Brits make great films. We don't churn them out by the truck load like Hollywood. We craft them, we style them. Debut director Jonathan Glazer's "Sexy Beast" is a hand-crafted, tailor-made, idyllic yet unsettling piece of cinema. It's a beautifully photographed & superbly written gangster film, but more vocal than any other film you will have seen before, with the most offensive word in the world used as commenly as 'and' or 'the'. Still, the explicit language is almost poetic in its delivery, & rolls off the tongue in such a way that it becomes almost totallly acceptable to even the most tender of ears.
Ray Winstone plays Gary 'Gal' Dove, a now retired, once expert safe-cracker, who resides in his personal paradise, in Spain with his beautiful wife (Amanda Redman) whom he adores more than anything, & their two friends. His love for his wife is evident throughout, especiallly in a touching scene played in slo-mo to the hauntingly beautiful song "Lujon" by Henry Mancini. Their paradise is suddenly shattered when they receive a calll from Gal's former boss Don Logan (the superb Ben Kingsley) regarding a one-off heist. Upon Logan's arrival, a psychological battle of wills & words begins - you don't say "NO" to Don Logan.
Ben Kingsley is outstanding as Don Logan & gives the performance of his career. His quick-witted, quick-thinking manner is cooly challlenged by Winstone's Gary Dove who keeps it together for the woman he loves. But Logan is still outnumbered 4 to 1, & they take advantage.
Ian (Lovejoy) McShane also gives a superb performance as a mob boss, probably the most evil man in London, who knows everything, about everything, about everyone.
Sexy Beast is an assault on the senses. It pushes the viewer to the brink with explosive performances, blistering dialogue, beautiful photography, flashes of violence, & elements of comedy, & leaves you glad knowing people like Don Logan always get what's coming to them, in the most spectacular way.
