Sexy Beast (2000) – Film Review

Director: Jonathan Glazer
Cast: Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane
Certificate: 18

By Sarah Morgan

It’s astonishing to think it’s 25 years since Jonathan Glazer’s feature-length debut hit our screens – it’s a fact that probably makes those of us who saw it at the cinema feel very old indeed.

It remains a masterpiece, a British crime classic that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as, say, Brighton Rock and The Long Good Friday.

Before it went into production, Ray Winstone had largely tackled hard man roles, villains who punched first and asked questions later, but here he plays against type. Okay, so his character, Gal Dove, has lived a life of crime, but when we first meet him – memorably topping up his tan by his swimming pool in Spain – he’s retired, let his physique go somewhat and is happy simply to spend time with his beloved ex-porn star wife Deedee and their friends.

“Loose cannon”

However, their peaceful life is about to be shattered by one of the most terrifying figures ever to grace the silver screen – Don Logan. He’s very much an unwanted visitor, a face from the past everyone would rather forget.

But Don is a man on a mission – he is determined to recruit Gal for his latest job, a safety deposit box heist organised by London gangster Teddy Bass. Despite all of Gal’s protestations, Don refuses to take no for an answer, terrorising him and his loved ones until, during an evening all concerned would rather forget, matters escalate into violence.

Winstone is wonderful as Gal, a sweet-natured chirpy cockney geezer who adores his other half; their love story is at the core of the entire story. But Ben Kingsley, who at the time was still best known for his Oscar-winning role in Gandhi, dominates the scenes he’s in – we completely believe Don is a loose cannon capable of anything to get his own way.

“Extraordinary”

Add to that a supporting cast that includes Amanda Redman as Deedee, Ian McShane as the chillingly smooth Teddy and James Fox as the guy Teddy literally screws in order to put his latest masterplan into action, and you’ve got something very special indeed.

But it would be nothing without Louis Mellis and David Scinto’s extraordinary screenplay. In the extensive special features, every actor interviewed comments on the dialogue and how brilliant it was to play – it’s fantastic to listen to as well; not a word is wasted or out of place.

Sexy Beast may be a quarter of a century old, but it’s as fresh as a daisy – if you’ve never seen it, make sure you put that right immediately. If you think you’re hard enough.