Review of Sexy Beast (2001) by Todd P — 21 May 2009

YES YES YES YES YES!

Wow, who knew that Mahatma Gandhi had such a pottymouth ... Ben Kingsley really does steal the show here, and he must have had a lot of fun playing an out-of-control, psychotic recruiter for the British mob who just won't take no (or, more accurately, "No no no no no no no no no. No. No no no no no no no no no no no") for an answer from any of his "recruits." Kingsley's performance was so scary-good that it even impressed Christopher Moltisanti (in an excellent late-season "Sopranos" episode), and in a perfect world it should've impressed the Screen Guild into giving him an Oscar. Throughout the first half of the film, one might wonder just why Ray Winstone (a beefy retired gangster sporting the most leathery lizard tan this side of Angelo Mozilo and who Kingsley is trying to recruit) doesn't just beat the shit out of Kingsley (who Winstone must outweigh by at least 100 pounds) and send him back to London in a pinebox. Without giving away the story, let's just say that Winstone does get back at Kingsley (though you'll have to wait till the end to find out just how).

The rest of the film is also quite good, with clever cinematography and characters with interesting quirks (e.g., Winstone's ex-porn star wife and a gay gangster who seduces and then disposes of his target). You also get a Donnie Darko-type scary bunny (the Sexy Beast?) that appears twice in Winstone's dreams.