Sexy Beast-2001

Director Jonathan Glazer

Starring Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley

Scott’s Review #286

Reviewed November 13, 2015

Grade: B+

Sexy Beast is an interesting little indie gem that has garnered quite a cult following, deservedly so, since the year of its release, 2001, and I have recently viewed it for the first time.

In large part, the film belongs to Ben Kingsley, who gives a bravura and frightening performance as a crime lord attempting to convince a retired hitman, now sworn to the straight and narrow, to resurrect his career for one last heist.

The other principal characters are wonderful in their own right, as the film successfully mixes elements of Quentin Tarantino with Ocean’s Eleven- bank heist meets quirkiness, with smart and witty dialogue sprinkled in.

Gary Dove is happily retired and living a life of contentment with his ex-porn-star wife, Deedee, and his best friends, Aitch and Jackie.

Having all been involved in “the biz”, they are long since removed from their respective careers. They now enjoy evening parties of wine and martinis, and days relaxing by the pool in their Spanish villas.

One day, a former criminal associate, Don Logan (Kingsley), who is also a sociopath, arrives to disrupt their peaceful lives and to coordinate a bank heist in London, hoping to lure Gary back into the game.

As Gary and company nervously decline Don Logan’s offer to participate in his sinister plan, a wonderful and important scene unfolds early in the film.

The quartet sits around the dinner table at a swanky Spanish restaurant, anticipating a scrumptious meal.

Jackie reveals that Don has contacted her, and the scene’s tone immediately shifts to dread. All of them both fear and despise Logan.

They agonize over this sudden disruption to their lives, and we, the audience, fear Don Logan before he ever appears on-screen.

What fantastic storytelling.

Kingsley portrays a menacing character and brilliantly so. The character harbors frightening brutality beneath his normally calm demeanor, making the viewer shudder when he appears on-screen.

Lest we forget, Ian McShane also gives a nuanced performance as Teddy Bass, Logan’s right-hand man and wise businessman.

The cat-and-mouse scene towards the end, as Teddy and Gary have an important discussion in a car, is both chilling and integral to the film’s plot.

As Teddy slowly figured out certain events, I was left intensely anticipating his reactions.

The film introduces an intriguing sub-plot involving Don’s long-ago fling with Jackie and subsequent love for her, which adds layers to the plot and the dynamic and tension between Don and Gary.

Upon finishing the film, I loved the foreshadowing it contains. I found myself rewinding the events in my mind, pleasurably so.

From the pool to the young Hispanic kid to the thunderous boulder- all of these elements were crucial to the conclusion and fit like a puzzle.

A dark comedy of sorts, I chuckled after the film at the final reveal involving a double-heart insignia and a pool that gives the villain comeuppance and pleases the viewer.

Having alluded to viewing Sexy Beast (2001) over the years, I am glad that I finally found the time to witness a darkly comical gem that, admittedly, may take repeated viewings to absorb and therefore fully “get”, and I look forward to doing just that.

Oscar Nominations: Best Supporting Actor-Ben Kingsley

Independent Spirit Award Nominations: Best Foreign Film