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Sexy Beast Details

2000 Certificate 18
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 11,924 members

Jonathan Glazer, the award-winning director of advertisements and music videos, presents his feature film debut with this lushly photographed, expertly written, and brilliantly performed convention-defying gangster film. SEXY BEAST jettisons the slickness of the LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS school in favor of intricate .. Read more

Starring Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman
Director Jonathan Glazer
Genres Audio Descriptive, Comedy, Drama

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Sexy Beast

Jonathan Glazer, the award-winning director of advertisements and music videos, presents his feature film debut with this lushly photographed, expertly written, and brilliantly performed convention-defying gangster film. SEXY BEAST jettisons the slickness of the LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS school in favor of intricate character development. In its opening shot, Gary "Gal" Dove (Ray Winstone)--a big-bellied ex-gangster with a cockney accent--is sunning himself pool side at his luxe villa on Spain's Costa Del Sol when a gigantic boulder hurtles down a hillside, almost killing him. This near miss serves as a troublesome portent, but it hardly affects Gal, who is immersed in his tranquil life with wife Deedee (Amanda Redman), who he adores with earnest fervor. However, Gal's peace is soon shattered by the arrival of Don Logan (Ben Kingsley, using his shaved skull, spare frame, and ramrod posture to pose as an anti-Gandhi), a brutal former accomplice looking to recruit Gal for a heist. A battle of wills ensues when Gal refuses to leave retirement, and the frighteningly intense Don refuses to take no for an answer. Glazer expertly heightens the film's tension using shifts in the pacing and flashbacks, while Kingsley and Winstone imbue their characters with gorgeous life.

Starring Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, James Fox, Cavan Kendall, Alvaro Monje
Director Jonathan Glazer
Studio FILM 4
Run time DVD: 1 hr 24 mins
Blu-ray: 1 hr 24 mins
HD DVD: 1 hr 24 mins
Certificate Certificate 18
Genres Audio Descriptive, Comedy, Drama
Language DVD: English, English Audio Description
Blu-ray: English
HD DVD: English
Hearing-impaired English
Released DVD: 17 Mar 2008
Blu-ray: 15 Jun 2009
HD DVD: 31 Mar 2008
Production year: 2000
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (6) of Sexy Beast

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  • 4 stars out of 5

    On the surface, this looks like just another Ray Winstone “gangster” movie — but appearances can be deceiving. Winstone is in relatively restrained mode as retired crook Gary, now living the life of Riley on the Costa del Crime. He's content to play second fiddle to a terrifying and transfixing performance by Ben Kingsley as Don, the psychopathic hardman sent to “persuade” him back to Blighty for one last job. Debuting director Jonathan Glazer made his name in advertising — he was the man behind the “Swimmer” and “Surfer” Guinness commercials — and his visual flair is evident here. The idyllic Spanish settings nicely counterpoint the growing sense of menace as cat-and-mouse games spiral towards an inevitable act of violence. The tension slackens a little in the film's later stages, when the riveting confrontation between the stars gives way to a slick but improbable caper subplot. But it's worth the ticket price just to see Kingsley, whose supreme acting skills produce a truly memorable screen psycho. Watching Gandhi will never seem the same again.

    • Radio Times
  • "...[Kingsley's] performance jolts the movie like an exposed high-voltage wire....[Glazer] clearly has a knack for quick visual thinking and a snappy rhythmic sense..."

    • New York Times
  • Most helpful member's review of Sexy Beast

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  • 32 out of 40 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 5 stars [Highly rated reviewer]

    Like a crocodile, fat crocodile

    Gal (Ray Winstone) is a retired gangster living a life of leisure in his Spanish villa. Then one day his peace is shattered by a visit from Don Logan, an old protégé, and man to be feared. Logan's intent is to lure Gal out of retirement for 'one last job' but Gal wants nothing to do with it.

    Everything superfluous has been stripped away, it's concise , it's In your face, it's incredible.

    Ray Winstone puts in another loveable badboy performance that he does so well, but the film is dominated by Kingsley who steals every scene he is in and creates one of the most menacing screen villains ever. A terrifyingly awesome performance.

    Ian McShane does a suprisingly good job as Teddy, and I only wished for more dialogue from the stunning Amanda Redman. All in all, an absolute gem of a movie that you won't be able to take your eyes off.

    • JediSi
      • JediSi
  • Most recent members' review of Sexy Beast

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  • 7 out of 8 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 1 star

    Filth

    Whilst I cannot criticise the acting, I was aghast at the stream of vitriolic profanities coming out of the mouths of Ben Kingsley and Ray Winstone. The 'f' word is bad enough but the number of 'c' words became too much for me to stomach and I had to bale out half way through the film. Best viewed with the sound muted I'd say.

      • Betsbigboy from Basildon
  • News and features

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    Paul Robeson - Speak Of Me As I Am

    Kingsley and Glover team up for buddy movie

    • 23 May 2006

    The news that Sir Ben Kingsley and Danny Glover are teaming up to star in a buddy movie might have cinema-goers intrigued at the prospect of a Lethal Weapon Sexy Beast hybrid. However, the project that Glover and Kingsley have signed on for does not require the presence of the rapacious Don Logan from Sexy Beast or the durable Sergeant Murtaugh of Lethal Weapon fame. In fact the film will chart the friendship of a far more remarkable pairing, Albert Einstein and Paul Robeson. The project will... Read more

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Rating breakdown

11,924 Member ratings
  • 100
1,368
  • 90
1,311
  • 80
2,696
  • 70
2,173
  • 60
1,905
  • 50
1,044
  • 40
609
  • 30
380
  • 20
296
  • 10
142

Related user collection

British Cinema (26)

Average rating: 4.00   80% from 4 members

by: A customer from UK

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    • Sexy Beast - HD DVD Version
      Jonathan Glazer, the award-winning director of advertisements and music videos, presents his feature film debut with this lushly photographed, expertly written, and brilliantly performed convention-defying gangster film. SEXY BEAST jettisons the slickness of the LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS ...

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    • Jonathan Glazer, the award-winning director of advertisements and music videos, presents his feature film debut with this lushly photographed, expertly written, and brilliantly performed convention-...

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    • Jonathan Glazer, the award-winning director of advertisements and music videos, presents his feature film debut with this lushly photographed, expertly written, and brilliantly performed convention-...