|
View Date: July 7th, 2001 Cast:
Written by: Directed by: Jonathan Glazer Official Site: Sexy Beast Related Viewings: Snatch.
(2000) Also see my reviews at:
Cast information and links
courtesy of
|
Sexy Beast First of all, to dispel any misconceptions that the films title may give, Sexy Beast has about as much to do with sensuality, as an Adam Sandler film has to do with existentialism. Instead, it is a brutally violent, British gangster movie in the spirit of Guy Ritchie faire of late. (Snatch, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels) It is filled with some visceral, surreal imagery and is very well put together and cast with actors who make these one dimensional characters very menacing, chilling yet intriguing to watch. Unfortunately, they are cast in a wannabe dark comedy that really isn’t about very much more than a simple heist job, a retired criminal and a very persistent accomplice. Video and commercial director Jonathan Glazer can relate a nice atmosphere through his imagery and cinematography, but unfortunately, his vision is forsaken amidst a plot that in retrospect, really never amounts to much at all. Dove is a retired criminal, living a very comfortable in life in Spain with his also retired porn star wife (the only kind of sexual inference in the film). He is approached by the wife of his friend Aitch to come out of retirement to do one last job for a menacing presence from his past, Don Logan (Kingsley). Logan comes to Dove (or Gal, as he’s referred to) to convince him to come out of his self-imposed exile one last time. The job is a simplistically silly job involving a high tech bank vault next to a steam bath that a famed thug discovered during a playful night of experimentation. So far, nothing that hasn’t been seen and done (with not very good results) before. Then again, there has never really been a cinematically persistent presence like Hogan before. He gives new meaning and definition to the phrase “not taking no for an answer”. He spits, screams, curses, insults and is bound and determined to not let Dove say no to his offer. His continued presence creates a tension and conflict amidst the characters, which results in some unexpected resolutions. The story meanders towards its conclusion in a lethargic manner, peppering in some flashy sequences and visuals, but never distracting away from the fact that it’s just not going anywhere. It becomes a presumptuous exercise that becomes so self-absorbed in its multi-dimensional conflicted characters, that it forgoes common sense and story. Normally, I don’t mind a movie that’s more about its denizens than its plot, but there has to be something tangible and intelligent for these characters to populate, otherwise, the result is a lot of really cool people wandering around saying intense things, but getting lost on the way to sensibility. Sexy Beast could have been a continuing tale in the growing genre of British crime films, which is being led by Ritchie. Unfortunately, Glazer is more in love with his story and actors to worry about a plot that has any kind of rhyme or reason above the simple description above. Just for flavor, or in an attempt to be hip, Glazer throws in a crashing boulder, a Spanish pool boy, and Dove’s dreams of a hairy beast, maybe representing his temptations to return to his formerly evil life. None of these are ever really clarified, unless there is a deeper meaning that gets lost in the mediocrity. It’s a shame too, because it wastes some really powerful acting turns. Ray Winstone, last seen as the downright creepy father in The War Room, is a lovable, but conflicted bad guy whom you can’t help but become endeared to. He sticks to his guns, but still becomes conflicted when circumstances dictate, and he does a wonderful turn in doing so. However the true presence, and almost a sole reason to recommend the film, is Kingsley’s turn as Logan. The fact that he’s good is not necessarily a revelation, since an Oscar winner has already been recognized as a talent, but this facet of his of repertoire has heretofore never revealed. He is dark, wicked and obviously at odds with and stuck on, himself as a bad person. Visions of Gandhi are definitely buried amidst the slew of profanities and persistently violent tendencies. Maybe there’s another award nod in his future for this one, and it almost makes the movie worth recommending. Almost, but not quite unfortunately. Ultimately, Sexy Beast is a beautiful, intense exercise in frustrating commonality. So often, movies try to be about a message or emotion more than a story (most recently You Can Count on Me worked, while George Washington didn’t) but to get the message across, there has to be an attention grabbing, yet intelligent thread to hold these sequences together and drive the message home. Sexy Beast just misses, by putting very complex and conflicted characters into a very plain and sometimes pointless story. While good characters and writing versus a poor story will always win out in my eyes, I’d prefer if a touch of creativity from the development would spill over into the story. With just a little bit more edge and twist to the story, Sexy Beast could have been a dark comedic character study. As it is, it serves to revive Kingsley’s career and show that with a better script and source material, Glazer could be a visionary, but for now, has missed the mark only slightly. ($$ out of $$$$$)Agree? Disagree, Questions? Comments? |
