Review of Sexy Beast (2001) by Andrew D — 22 Jun 2009
Ray Winstone has done the gangster life and has now chosen to put his feet up with his wife at his villa in Spain. Everything seems to be going swimmingly until tour de force Ben Kingsley steps into his zone, at the behest of their mutual boss, to coax Ray into one final job for the old gang.
Our put upon hero is adamant that he does not want to be a part of the criminal arena again but the persuasive Kingsley makes it hard for him to sit on the fence, causing untold agony for Ray and his family.
Smart, funny and darkly comic adult drama which produces fine performances from all concerned. Director Jonathan Glazer plies the film with surreal scenes which reflect Rayâ??s disbelief at having to fend off a man on a mission.
It is interesting that Winstone, usually the aggressor as seen in â??Scumâ?? (1979) or â??Nil By Mouthâ?? (1995), is the one for whom we are expected to feel sorry, along with his lovely wife played with unerring loyalty by the excellent Amanda Redman, as Kingsleyâ??s persistently fiery Don threatened to rip the familyâ??s ideal retreat to pieces.
Kingsleyâ??s proves again here just how deep his acting skills go and rightly garnered an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a man whose charm lies in his ability to get people to do what ever he wants.
A very good British crime thriller which will stand the test of time, as it aims to be the final word on a much-saturated genre.
This review of Sexy Beast (2001) was written by Andrew D on 22 Jun 2009.
Sexy Beast has generally received very positive reviews.
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