I'm too sexy for this film: Kingsley and Winstone

These days, British gangsters are all the rage in movies. In Sexy Beast, however, they ruin the show. In what can only be referred to as schizophrenic, Sexy Beast contains two conflicting plotlines. The movie degenerates from an interesting conflict of wills between two despicable, yet likable characters, played by Winstone and Kingsley, into a cliched bank heist movie. In addition, it has neither the humor and flash of a Guy Ritchie vehicle, nor the witty dialogue and sexy violence of a Tarrantino flick. Add to that strange sequences involving a rabbit man, and you have one mixed-up movie.

In the brilliant opening sequence, Gary "Gal" Dove, in mango-colored Speedos, happily suns himself poolside in the calm Spanish countryside. His running commentary is as enjoyable as watching the boulder, which narrowly misses him, crash down the hill and land in his pool. The boulder marks the most dangerous event in Gal's life, which now consists of suntan lotion and eating calimari with wife DeeDee (Amanda Redman) and best friends Aitch (Cavan Kendall) and Jackie (Julianne White), since his retirement from a life of crime. That is, until Don Logan (Kingsley) pays him a visit.

Touted as the role that will finally remove the taint of saintliness from Kingsley, Logan is as ruthless as Gandhi was skinny and bald. Not Kingsley's first bad-guy role, but definitely the best, Logan has none of the delusion of Pascali from Pascali's Island nor the sly charm of Dr. Roberto Miranda in Death and the Maiden. Logan is pushy, mean to the point of being psychotic and won't take no for an answer. His ramrod posture is as stiff as his resolve. He's determined to bring Gal back to London to rob a safety deposit vault for big-time gangster Teddy Bass (Ian McShane).

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Directed by movie newcomer Jonathan Glazer, Sexy Beast is at its best when Kingsley is on the screen. The scenes between Walstone and Kingsley are fast, smart and fraught with danger and suspense. Gone-soft Gal refuses to accept Logan's job offer. Logan refuses to accept Gal's refusal. And round and round it goes, with Logan working himself into a fury over the situation and the unresolved feelings he has for the lovely friend Jackie. Of course, these scenes culminate in violence and Logan comes to a bad end at the hands of the two couples, but what happens after that is a mystery.

For some reason, the film finds Gal in London amidst Teddy Bass's gang, robbing a safety deposit vault. Exactly what Gal's specialty in the robbery is and his motives for going to London remain unclear. If he's trying to hide his guilt in the disappearance of Logan, why does he lie so badly? At any rate, the underwater robbery scene is fairly slick and aside from the ultra-violent flashback scenes, reminds me of the Discovery Channel's televised sunken-treasure expeditions. After that, the movie really goes downhill, with an unnecessary murder and Teddy Bass's ironic confession about how little he cared for Don Logan - which is ironic because Logan is the only character in the entire movie worth caring about.

Beck Finley is a freelance writer and critic. She lives on the Missouri side of Kansas City with her husband, Ryan Kegley, and dog, Tummy.

MPAA: Rated R for pervasive language, strong violence and some sexuality.
Runtime: Australia:88 / USA:88
Country: UK / Spain
Language: English
Color: Color (DeLuxe)
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Certification: Australia:MA / Chile:18 / France:U / Hong Kong:IIB / UK:18 / USA:R