Sexy Beast

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Do’ Roi’ Sexy Beast
by Michael Flanagan

Super

It is rare in this age of movie going to not know what to expect of a movie.  The trailers most always give away the plot, all the funny moments, and sometimes the ending (see Legally Blonde).  The only hope of avoiding these sinful revelations is to see what has been fondly titled in the industry “Independent Films.”  It seems that this is a misnomer, though, and a more apt label would be “Quality Films.”  Little budget, talented actors, a good screenplay, and a great plot a Quality Film does make.  And Sexy Beast nears the top of that list.

What makes Sexy Beast great first is the dialogue.  Though sometimes difficult to understand, as it is all cockney English, the dialogue carries the film.  It is dialogue that reveals the plot, and through dialogue we learn of the characters as ex-members of a criminal ring with past relationships, friendships, and hatreds.  We are introduced to Don (Ben Kingsley) through an uncomfortably morose dinner conversation.  I won’t quote it specifically, because I can’t, but suffice it to say that we the audience learn that Don is the leader of a gang of criminals of which Gal (Ray Winstone) used to be a part.  This revelation is clever, funny, and smart, and it gets the point across clearly, but leaves the audience wanting more; and it delivers.  Brilliant dialogue like this is what made Quentin Tarantino a phenomenon.

Second, the editing.  The visual choices in editing tell this complicated story in an exciting and humorous way that, through jump cuts and rapid cuts, somehow make the story less confusing and more dramatic.  For example, the scene in which Don tells Gal about the job is told through a cut from their conversation to Don learning about the job, to scenes of people involved in the job, all connected with different moments of the descriptions of the job.  Sound complicated?  With the brilliant editing, it all makes sense.  Also, the sound editing is amazing.  When Gal is sleeping, a cacophonous shriek of music accompanies his strange dream of a man-rabbit and a gun.  When he jumps awake from this dream, the music is still with him for a brief moment.  This relation of waking from dreams to the film is, again, incredible.

What could have been a rehash of yet another “criminals with catchy dialogue” movie is propelled to new waves of originality.  Through Sexy Beast, we are reminded of what film can do, and what’s not done with it enough.  Film is a visual medium of telling a story to inform, delight, educate, and most importantly, to entertain.  All aspects of film should be used in this regard, and as our Quality Filmmakers have shown us, when done correctly, it makes for great movies.  Now, if only Hollywood would stop labeling and start paying attention.

A Breath of Fresh Air:  Sexy Beast
by Christian De Matteo

Super

            Amid a calamity, in fact a veritable train wreck, of summer blockbusting attempts, Sexy Beast shines through like the sun over an oasis after miles of dessert.  Well-filmed, well acted, well directed, and even (can it be true of a 2001 summer flick?) well written, Beast lulls you in with its quirky and easy tone, slowly readying you for the bad stuff.  And yet even when things get downright gruesome (and they do), there’s this odd sense of edge-of-your-seat fun, a sense that you are truly escaping into a film and there is no other place you would rather be.

            From its very possible worthy of a spot in my ten best openings opening, to its quietly perfect denouement, Beast is a crazy ride.  Sometimes so slow and quiet that you may wonder if you’re about to get bored, it jumps at you again, having been just waiting for you to drop your guard, and pounces on your throat.

It’s not Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and it couldn’t be further from The Full Monty or Billy Elliot, it’s a British flick all its own.  I couldn’t say, “it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen,” because it’s composed of all the elements you’ve ever seen.  What it does is mix them up together in an odd way that somehow makes perfect sense, and give you a little bit of everything, making it very true to human experience.

Ben Kingsley is astounding playing an obsessed psychopath gangster, who is not obsessed with what you would expect him to be.  He is a perfect psychological study, reacting believably to every single stimulus, but in a way that fits no movie stereotype.  And against his is the star, Ray Winstone who I’ve never seen before, but now want to see everything he’s done.  He is unique and bizarre on his own, but also the perfect underdog to Kingsley’s bully.  Want to see a perfect example?  Watch out for the kitchen argument scene, one of the greatest in the film.

Not to ignore another great job amongst a film that is nothing but great jobs, Amanda Redman is perfect as Winstone’s wife with a shady past.  She is lovable and believable with a strong yet quite presence.

Here is the kind of film I want for my weekends.  Here is the kind of quality I expect for upwards of 9 dollars.  Here is the kind of thing Hollywood should be financing but also keeping its damn hands off.

Sexy Beast
by Mark Capitelli

Solid

I enjoyed this film a lot and recommend it to people who like character studies and stylized, indie-type films. 

Watching Sexy Beast, I was reminded of Snatch, another comedic British film about criminals.  What makes it different from films like Snatch is that Sexy Beast doesn’t have much of a plot and it doesn’t tell much of a story.  Again, it is a Noire-ish character study, not a heist movie (although there’s an elaborate heist in it).

I cannot describe this film well, I can only say that I liked it, and that Ben Kingsley absolutely deserved his Oscar nomination.

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