woensdag 20 juli 2016

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 98: Sexy Beast

Director: Jonathan Glazer
Genre: Drama/ Crime
Runtime: 89 minutes
Year: 2000
Starring: Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, James Fox, Cavan Kendall, Julianne White, Álvaro Monje, Robert Atiko, Nives del Amo Oruet, Enrique Alemán Fabrega, Gérard Barray, José Maria Cano Ramos, Desirée Erasmus, Santiago Frias Munoz

Description: Brutal gangster Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) recruits "retired" safecracker Gal (Ray Winstone) for one last job, but it goes badly for both of them.

Review: Some movies have a villain you will remember fort he rest of your life. “Star Wars” had Darth Vader, “Batman” had the Joker and “The Silence of the Lambs” had Hannibal Lecter. Well, “Sexy Beast" also has a villain like that: Don Logan, brilliantly portrayed by Ben Kingsley. Don is from England and travels to Spain to visit Gal. Gal is a retired gangster, who is now enjoying the sun, his wife and Spanish food. In the first scene we see Gal baking in the sun, at the edge of his pool. When he gets up a giant boulder roles down a hill and nearly hits him. This boulder is a metaphore for Don coming into his life. Don tries to convince Gal to do one more job back in England. Well, convince, Don tells him he has to do it. The fact that Gal is retired and doesn’t want to, doesn’t matter to Don. And Don is not the kind of man you say no to.
What makes “Sexy Beast” so great is the threat of violence, instead of the vilence itself. Without even touching a gun, Don is capable of terrorizing a room filled with people. Simply with a cold look and unpredictable attitude. At one point Don seems rational and has it all under control, but in an instant he explodes in anger. Don is a ticking timebomb. Ben Kingsley does a fantastic job. But also Ray Winstone, who is actually the leading man in “Sexy Beast”. He is more timid, but forms a great contrast with Don’s character.
The script is strong and has some dark humor here and there. But it’s mostly the great acting by Ben Kingsley that stays with you.

Rating: 3,5/ 5

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