Dougs Movie Corner: “Sexy Beast”
Hi, this is Doug from Saxon and on this tour i’ve been specially picked as “Bus Film Critic”.
I must say that we are a band of movie buffs and the first film of the tour was “Sexy Beast”, starring Ray Winstone, and Ben Kingsley.
Watching this movie on tour has become somewhat of a tradition - the humour is very English. Ray Winstone reminds us of certain characters we know - he plays a retired gangster who is now living in paradise with his wife and two friends in Spain.
We would all like to do this, but his perfect lifestyle is shattered by one phone call from a very feared character from his past called Don Logan (Ben Kingsley) - Don is a psychopathic villain who will not take no for an answer ever, and Gell Dove (Ray Winstone), knows this and doesn’t want to do the job for any amount of money as he has already done a long stretch in prison and is now happy with his life.
Don comes to Spain to talk Gell into doing the job and his sheer presence on the screen is fantastic. He manages to create the most uncomfortable yet compelling watching.
We all love it because the dialogue between the two men is so painful yet hilarious! We all frequently quote various lines of the film when one of us wants something done.
I don’t want to tell you the whole story because if you watch the film, it will ruin it - but i will say he does the job, after many fantastic scenes of persuasion.
I think i would score this film 10 out of 10!! - i should also say that there is a love story involved, between Gell and his wife who just happens to be an ex-pornstar - Don knows this and uses the information to the full, but this doesn’t bother Gell - he has found his perfect soulmate. There are some visually stunning moments, and the music score is fantastic, from The Stranglers to Henry Mancini.
To wrap it up, this film is uncomfortable, very funny, and moving - one to watch!
March 19th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
never seen it but sounds well worth a look.
nice reveiw SCARRY NORMAN
March 20th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Right on, Doug! Nice review and a great film.
During one of the fantasy sequences with the demon, there sounds like a machine gun going off in the background. Actually, they took a clip of Don Logan going “No, no, no, no, no, no, no …” and mixed it down deep into the soundtrack. How great is that?
P.S. you guys know people like Ray Winston’s character? Hope you don’t know anybody like Don!
March 22nd, 2007 at 9:49 am
Top film, one of my personal faves.
Who would ever have thought Ben Kingsley could play a character like that?
April 6th, 2007 at 4:37 pm
This movie is top notch and there is no accounting for how you feel the first time you see it and encounter Kingsley’s character ‘Don’, his personality hits you like a sledgehammer. This film everything even Ian McShane’s character is someone you really wouldn’t want to cross!
April 8th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Great review Doug. I have seen the film but I have to admit I didn’t really get into it. But having read that review I’ll have to give it another try!