“SEXY BEAST” (2000)

Starring: Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, & Amanda Redman
Written by Louis Mellis, David Scinto
& Andrew Michael Jolley (story)
Directed by Jonathan Glazer

Polly Staffle Rating: **

At the heart of the British crime drama “Sexy Beast” there is a love story. It's not explored very well and that ends up being the downfall to the movie. “Sexy Beast” does have a lot to offer. It has a wicked sense of humor and is extremely stylistic. There are also two interesting characters on display with Ray Winstone as retired criminal Gal Dove and Ben Kingsley as the menacing gangster Don Logan.

Gal has moved on from his life of crime and has settled down in Spain. He lives in a nice house and has a wife Deedee (Amanda Redman) he cares for deeply. Gal comes off as a British Tony Soprano and continues to live like he is a mafia gangster with a right-hand man and a young boy who performs chores around his estate. He and his wife both have pasts they want to forget.

Then Don comes to town. He's come to convince Gal to do one last job. Gal ensures Deedee he has no plans to get involved. But Don isn't taking no for an answer. Gal and Don end up bickering like two kids or something you would see in a cartoon for the good part of the film's first hour. Neither wants to budge on his stance. Don opens old wounds in hopes to pester Gal enough that he finally gives in. Nothing is going to make Gal change his mind because Deedee doesn't want him going back to his old ways. Then something happens involving Deedee and Gal goes through with the job in order to protect her.

The phrase “style over substance” is thrown around a lot, especially when critics talk about crime and horror films. I usually disagree and don't really get what they are talking about. But “Sexy Beast” is a perfect example of style over substance. The sad part is they didn't realize what they could have had. Directed by Jonathan Glazer, who later made the Nicole Kidman film “Birth,” “Sexy Beast” has the base of an excellent love story. I wanted to know more about Deedee. I wanted to know more about the relationship she had with her husband. I wanted more of the love story and less of the “yes-no” bickerfest between the two men. We don't get that here and because of it, the film suffers.

I also hate the title of this film. I didn't like it before seeing it and still don't. It's what kept me from watching this film for so long. Don't call your film “Sexy Beast” unless it's about a killer mermaid or something of that nature. The name of a movie is extremely important. Just think of “Pulp Fiction” with any other name. Would you have wanted to see it if it was called “Foxy Gimp” with the big bald head of Marsellus Wallace as the posters main art?

- CCF, February 2006