Review of Sexy Beast (2001) by Chris C — 28 Nov 2009

Before seeing it I was less interested in the story that's been done a million times, '...retired whatever comes back for one last job, etc., etc.' and more interested in seeing Ben Kingsley do his thing.

Ben did not disappoint (though the Academy did, but who cares about them anymore?) and I was surprised with the story not being about the crime and really about the psychological distress and animosity between characters when pushed and manipulated by the Sexy Beast of crime and easy money.

Gal Dove learned his lesson from a prison sentence to retire from crime and Don Logan pretty much decides for him that he is going to do the job. I love that everyone in the cast is of middle age and older without any made-up hot bodies to glamorize criminality like almost any other movie about it.

Every character here is seasoned with having experienced bad times and is trying to maintain their last bit of happiness. The dialogue is excellent and especially well delivered from Kingsley, being able to say 'No!' so many times in a row only when he has walked his character to that point of wanting to kill.

Clashing personalities raise the sense of danger instead of guns being waved around, it's great. I love it.