1. jdicksteihn

   10

   The closest thing to a perfect movie that I've found. There's too many great things about it to list here. Here's one interesting nuance. If you want to know the key to the power of Ben Kingsley's performance, it is not actually Ben Kingsley (though he is wonderful). Watch the movie up until Kingsley's arrival and then turn it off. Tell me then what you would think of Don Logan had he never made an appearance in the movie. Watch everyone's reaction at the table when Jackie says "It was Don Logan" who called for Gal. This director created an unbelievable monster of a character in Don Logan before he entered frame. It is in this way that Jonathan Glazer is largely responsible for the character of Don Logan. And why Ben Kingsley was able to spend most of his performance not raising his voice and seem utterly terrifying. Brilliant example of a director defining a character by the other character's reactions to him. Only one of the trillion great things about this film.… Expand

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2. ERG1008

   8

   Retired ex-con, lives in Spain, gets call from London to do one more job, declines, old "friend" comes over to persuade him.
   Very under-rated British film from 2000 that stands out in the Brit Gangster dross that was coming out at this time.
   It's a pretty simple story but very well acted out & then of course there's Ben Kingsley.
   I remember telling a mate about this and he didn't believe me how nasty Kingsley could be in a film. He's terrifying, funny & fascinating in every single scene in which he features.
   Soundtrack isn't bad either.… Expand

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3. emcoffey3

   6

   This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm a huge fan of the crime/mob/heist film genre, and my thoughts on Sexy Beast are: I'm not totally sure it falls into that genre. The heist portion of the movie, while somewhat clever, plays out rather quickly and uneventfully. The movie seems to place more emphasis on the chaos and anxiety that Ben Kingsley's character's arrival and (SPOILER ALERT) ultimate demise, which is the absolute highlight of the movie (END SPOILERS), causes the main character (Winstone) and his friends. I must say that Kingsley's performance is brilliant; his sociopathic tirades are rather superb. But, after a while, it's just a crazy guy harassing four people and you're ready for it to end. I didn't dislike Sexy Beast, I just don't think it's a movie I'd ever want to see again, nor is it one I can wholeheartedly recommend.… Expand

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4. ryancarroll88

   3

   Ben Kingsley appears to use his role as the psychotic gangster Don Logan purely as an exercise in variety in this crime drama that ends up playing out more like a senseless stage production than a movie. Some suave surrealism and a biting humor keep the film interesting, but not enough to save it.… Expand

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