Review of Sexy Beast (2001) by Curtis P — 21 Apr 2010

Sexy Beast is about a retired bank robber named Gal (Ray Winstone) who is asked to return to the UK and help with another job. Asked isn't quite the correct term. Persuaded perhaps? No. How about bludgeoned psychologically into returning to his old profession. An old acquaintance named Don (Ben Kinglsey) comes to Gal's Spanish home and proceeds to verbally abuse everyone in the general area, wired beyond belief. Don can not shut up and everything out of his mouth is exactly what everyone doesn't want to hear. Sent by his boss (Ian McShane) Don will not take no for an answer. Hell, Don won't shut the hell up long enough to listen to anyone tell him no.

Sexy Beast is an entertaining crime drama, pseudo comedy. It had an interesting plot that is a bit interesting. Nothing monumental, just interesting. The problem with the film is Ben Kingsley's performance. No, I haven't gone nutty and decided to bash one if his best roles. He's great as Don Logan. The problem is he's too great. Way to great in the role and it's this greatness that changes the third act from typical resolution of the problem into a long meandering path because we're sitting there marveling at the Kingsley role (which is relatively short lived in the film). There's no real pay off to end the film with- it's in the middle.

Besides Kingsley, Winstone turns in a good performance and you'll forget McShane is even in the thing. What Sexy Beast represents is a film that would have been buried long ago had it not been for Ben Kingsley going bat shit on screen. He's the pulse of the film and when he's removed it dies on the table.