Sexy Beast

Last updated

Sexy Beast
Sexy beast ver1.jpg
Original film poster
Directed by Jonathan Glazer
Written by Louis Mellis
David Scinto
Produced by Jeremy Thomas
Starring
CinematographyIvan Bird
Edited byJohn Scott
Sam Sneade
Music by Roque Baños
UNKLE
South
Production
companies
FilmFour
Kanzaman S.A.
Recorded Picture Company
Jeremy Thomas Productions
Distributed by Fox Searchlight Pictures (United States)
Hispano Foxfilms
(Spain)
FilmFour Distributors [1] (United Kingdom and Ireland)
Release dates
  • 13 September 2000 (2000-09-13)(TIFF)
  • 12 January 2001 (2001-01-12)(UK)
  • 15 June 2001 (2001-06-15)(US)
  • 8 March 2002 (2002-03-08)(Spain)
Running time
88 minutes
CountriesUnited States
United Kingdom
Spain
LanguagesEnglish
Spanish
Budget$4.3 million [2]
Box office$10.2 million [2]

Sexy Beast is a 2000 black comedy crime film directed by Jonathan Glazer (in his feature film directorial debut) and written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto. It stars Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, and Ian McShane. It follows Gary "Gal" Dove (Winstone), a retired criminal visited by a sociopathic gangster (Kingsley) who demands that he take part in a bank robbery in London.

Contents

Sexy Beast was critically acclaimed, and Kingsley's performance earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. [3] In 2004, Total Film named Sexy Beast the 15th best British film. It was the final film to feature Cavan Kendall, who died of cancer shortly after filming ended. [4]

Plot

British ex-criminal Gary "Gal" Dove is happily retired on the Costa del Sol with his beloved wife DeeDee, his best friend Aitch, and Aitch's wife Jackie. An old criminal associate, the feared sociopath Don Logan, arrives at Gal's villa, intent on enlisting Gal for a bank robbery in London planned by crime lord Teddy Bass. Teddy has learned about the bank vault from Harry, the bank's chairman, whom he met at an orgy. Gal declines, but Don continues to pressure Gal, growing increasingly aggressive and violent.

After Gal suggests that Don's real reason for visiting is his infatuation with Jackie, with whom he had a brief affair, Don grows furious and leaves. On the plane back to England, Don refuses to extinguish his cigarette prior to takeoff, is aggressive to staff and other passengers, and is ejected, but avoids punishment by claiming that a flight attendant sexually assaulted him. He returns to the villa screaming obscenities and attacks Gal with a glass. DeeDee emerges with Gal's hunting shotgun and shoots Don, incapacitating him; the group beat him to death and bury him under the swimming pool.

To avoid raising suspicion with Don's disappearance, Gal decides to do the job in London - preparing for the heist. When Teddy questions Gal about Don's whereabouts, Gal lies and claims that Don returned to London and called him from Heathrow Airport. The heist involves using diving gear to drill into the bank vault from a pool in a neighbouring bath house. The pool water muffles the sound of the drilling equipment and also floods the vault and shorts its security system. As Teddy's crew empties the vault's safe deposit boxes, Gal secretly pockets a pair of ruby and diamond earrings.

After the job, Teddy insists on driving Gal to the airport. He stops at Harry's home, where he shoots Harry and demands that Gal tell him where Don is. Gal responds that he is "not into this any more". While dropping Gal off, Teddy indicates that he knows that Gal was involved in something happening to Don, and implies that Gal would be severely punished if Teddy cared at all about Don. He suggests he may visit Gal in Spain and humiliates him by paying him only £10 for the job.

Gal returns to his friends and family in Spain, where DeeDee wears the earrings and life has returned to normal. Gal still hears Don's voice in his head; he responds that Don is dead now and can "shut up".

Cast

Production

Sexy Beast was shot in London and Spain in the summer of 1999. Ray Winstone travelled to Spain two weeks before filming commenced to get as deep a tan as he could in the time possible and to eat as much as he could to bulk up considerably. He later called this "the best rehearsal time I've ever had in my life". [5] Winstone had originally been considered for the role of Don, along with Anthony Hopkins. [6]

The producer Jeremy Thomas remembered his experience making the film: [7]

"Sexy Beast was the beginning of a new phase for me of working with first-time filmmakers. Jonathan Glazer was a television commercials director in the UK, and a wonderful talent. We were sent this script which he was attached to, and out came this wonderful film. It was very stimulating having a first time talent... The dialogue as you see in this film is exceptional. I had never read a script like it, and I thought, this has got to be made. It was very difficult to get insurance on the film actually. When the American studio bought the film, their legal department said: "You cannot make this." It has something like 300 uses of the word "cunt", and 400 "fucks", but somehow it passed the censorship and got out there."

Technical elements of the heist have been compared with those in the 1979 film Sewers of Gold , which also starred McShane in the central role.[ citation needed ]

Reception

As of June 2024, the film has an approval rating of 87% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 141 reviews with an average rating of 7.30/10. The site's critical consensus states, "Sexy Beast rises above other movies in the British gangster genre due to its performances—particularly an electrifying one by Ben Kingsley—and the script's attention to character development." [8] On Metacritic, it has a rating of 79/100, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [9]

It received praise from writers at the San Francisco Chronicle , [10] Entertainment Weekly , [11] Slate , [12] Rolling Stone [13] and the Los Angeles Times . [14] Stephen Hunter of The Washington Post was less enthusiastic, describing the plot as "preposterous" and highlighting "Ben Kingsley spraying saliva-lubricated variants of the F-word into the atmosphere like anti-aircraft fire for 10 solid minutes" as the film's "one guilty pleasure". [15]

Box office

Sexy Beast grossed $10.2 million on a budget of $4.3 million, making it a relative box office success. [16]

Awards and honors

Kingsley's performance received a majority of the accolades given to Sexy Beast, winning Best Supporting Actor awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association, Boston Society of Film Critics, Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association, Florida Film Critics Circle, San Diego Film Critics Society, Southeastern Film Critics Association and the Toronto Film Critics Association. He also was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award (losing to Ian McKellen for his performance in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring ), a Golden Globe and an Academy Award (losing both to Jim Broadbent for his performance in Iris ).

The film also won Best Director and Best Screenplay from the British Independent Film Awards and Special Recognition ("For excellence in film making") from the National Board of Review.

Music

Original music for the film was composed by Spanish composer/saxophonist Roque Baños and English electronic band UNKLE in collaboration with South . [17] Dean Martin's version of "Sway" accompanies the film's end credits. The soundtrack also includes "Peaches" by The Stranglers, "Cuba" by The Gibson Brothers, "G-Spot" by Wayne Marshall, "Daddy Rollin' Stone" by Derek Martin, and Henry Mancini's "Lujon".

Brian Sella of The Front Bottoms attributes the band's name to a line spoken by Ben Kingsley in the film. [18] Another line spoken by Kingsley inspired The Kooks' song "Jackie Big Tits". [19]

Prequel television series

A prequel television series based on the film was in development at Paramount Network, which was being produced by Paramount Television Studios and Anonymous Content. However, the series was scrapped by Paramount Network. On 15 February 2022, ViacomCBS Networks UK And Australia announced that the series was revived for Paramount+, but would instead be produced by Train a Comin' Productions, Familystyle, Chapter One, Solas Mind, Anonymous Content and Paramount Television International Studios. [20] The eight-episode series was released on 25 January 2024. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Kingsley</span> English actor (born 1943)

Sir Ben Kingsley is an English actor. He has received accolades throughout his career spanning five decades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Grammy Award, and two Golden Globe Awards as well as nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards and two Laurence Olivier Awards. Kingsley was appointed Knight Bachelor in 2002 for services to the British film industry. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 and received the Britannia Award in 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Winstone</span> English actor (born 1957)

Raymond Andrew Winstone is an English television, stage and film actor with a career spanning five decades. Having worked with many prominent directors, including Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg, Winstone is perhaps best known for his "hard man" roles, usually delivered in his distinctive London accent. The first of these was That Summer! (1979) for which he received a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer. He rose to prominence starring as Will Scarlet in the series Robin of Sherwood from 1984 to 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Glazer</span> English film director (born 1965)

Jonathan Glazer is an English film director and screenwriter. He began his career in theatre before transitioning into film, directing the features Sexy Beast (2000), Birth (2004), Under the Skin (2013), and The Zone of Interest (2023). Glazer accepted the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film on behalf of the United Kingdom for The Zone of Interest.

<i>Gangster No. 1</i> 2000 British film

Gangster No. 1 is a 2000 British crime drama film directed by Paul McGuigan. It is based on the stage play Gangster No.1 written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto. The film stars Paul Bettany in the title role and features Malcolm McDowell, David Thewlis and Saffron Burrows.

<i>Rififi</i> 1955 crime film by Jules Dassin

Rififi is a 1955 French crime film adaptation of Auguste Le Breton's novel of the same name. Directed by American blacklisted filmmaker Jules Dassin, the film stars Jean Servais as the aging gangster Tony "le Stéphanois", Carl Möhner as Jo "le Suédois", Robert Manuel as Mario Farrati, and Jules Dassin as César "le Milanais". The foursome band together to commit an almost impossible theft, the burglary of an exclusive jewelry shop in the Rue de la Paix. The centerpiece of the film is an intricate half-hour heist scene depicting the crime in detail, shot in near silence, without dialogue or music. The fictional burglary has been mimicked by criminals in actual crimes around the world.

<i>Oceans Eleven</i> 2001 film by Steven Soderbergh

Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American heist comedy film directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Ted Griffin. The first installment in the Ocean's film trilogy, it is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film of the same name. The film features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy García, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Bernie Mac, and Carl Reiner. The story follows friends Danny Ocean (Clooney) and Rusty Ryan (Pitt), who plan a heist of $160 million from casino owner Terry Benedict (García), the lover of Ocean's ex-wife Tess (Roberts).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amanda Redman</span> British actress (born 1957)

Amanda Jacqueline Redman, is an English actress, known for her roles as Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman in the BBC One series New Tricks (2003–2013) and as Dr. Lydia Fonseca in The Good Karma Hospital (2017–2022). She gained BAFTA TV Award nominations for At Home with the Braithwaites (2000–2003) and Tommy Cooper: Not Like That, Like This (2014). Her film roles include For Queen and Country (1988), Sexy Beast (2000) and Mike Bassett: England Manager (2001).

The 6th Florida Film Critics Circle Awards were announced on 3 January 2002.

The 67th New York Film Critics Circle Awards, honoring the best in film for 2001, were announced on 13 December 2001 and presented on 6 January 2002 by the New York Film Critics Circle.

The 5th Toronto Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2001, were held on 20 December 2001.

The 6th San Diego Film Critics Society Awards, given by the San Diego Film Critics Society on 18 December 2001, honored the best in film for 2001.

The 7th Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards, honoring the best in film for 2001, were given on January 3, 2002.

The 6th Golden Satellite Awards were given on January 19, 2002, at the St. Regis Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

<i>Shutter Island</i> (film) 2010 film by Martin Scorsese

Shutter Island is a 2010 American neo-noir psychological horror film directed by Martin Scorsese. It is adapted by Laeta Kalogridis from the 2003 novel of the same name by Dennis Lehane, about a Deputy U.S. Marshal who comes to Shutter Island to investigate a psychiatric facility, after one of the patients goes missing. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo, with Ben Kingsley, Max von Sydow and Michelle Williams in supporting roles.

<i>44 Inch Chest</i> 2009 British crime drama film directed by Malcolm Venville

44 Inch Chest is a 2009 British crime comedy-drama film directed by Malcolm Venville in his directorial debut. The film stars Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane and Joanne Whalley. The film was released on 19 October 2009.

<i>The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard</i> 2009 American film

The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard is a 2009 American comedy film directed by Neal Brennan, produced by Adam McKay, Will Ferrell, Kevin Messick and Chris Henchy, written by Andy Stock and Rick Stempson and starring Jeremy Piven, Ving Rhames, James Brolin, David Koechner, Kathryn Hahn, Ed Helms, Jordana Spiro and Craig Robinson. Originally titled The Goods: The Don Ready Story, the film was theatrically released on August 14, 2009 in the United States by Paramount Pictures and was released on DVD as a rental only with no special features November 17 and for sale December 15. The film received mostly negative reviews from critics and grossed $15.3 million against a $10 million budget.

<i>King of Thieves</i> (2018 film) 2018 British film by James Marsh

King of Thieves is a 2018 British heist film directed by James Marsh. The film is based on the Hatton Garden safe deposit burglary of 2015, and stars Michael Caine, Tom Courtenay, Michael Gambon, Charlie Cox, Jim Broadbent, Paul Whitehouse and Ray Winstone.

<i>Locked Down</i> (film) 2021 film by Doug Liman

Locked Down is a 2021 romantic comedy heist film directed by Doug Liman and written by Steven Knight. The film stars Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor, with Stephen Merchant, Mindy Kaling, Lucy Boynton, Mark Gatiss, Claes Bang, Ben Stiller, and Ben Kingsley in supporting roles.

Sexy Beast is a British crime drama television series developed by Michael Caleo that premiered on Paramount+ on 25 January 2024. It is a prequel of the 2000 film of the same name.

References

  1. ↑ "Sexy Beast (2001)". BBFC . Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Sexy Beast (2001) - Financial Information". The Numbers . Retrieved 7 April 2018.
  3. ↑ "Sir Ben's Sexy honour". BBC News. 31 December 2001. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  4. ↑ Anastasia, George; Macnow, Glen (27 September 2011). The Ultimate Book of Gangster Movies: Featuring the 100 Greatest Gangster Films of All Time. Running Press. ISBN   9780762443703 – via Google Books.
  5. ↑ "IMDB Sexy Beast facts". IMDb . Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  6. ↑ "100 Greatest Gangers Films Sexy Beat". 9 November 2021. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  7. ↑ "Jeremy Thomas - And I'm still a fan". Berlinale Talents. 29 October 2010. Archived from the original on 4 June 2014. Retrieved 18 March 2014.
  8. ↑ "Sexy Beast". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  9. ↑ Sexy Beast at Metacritic. Accessed 4 February 2008
  10. ↑ Wesley, Morris (15 March 2002). "Kingsley a beauty in 'Sexy Beast' / His maniacal sadist adds frenzied edge". San Francisco Chronicle . Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  11. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (22 June 2001). "Sexy Beast (2001)". Entertainment Weekly . Archived from the original on 18 January 2007. Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  12. ↑ Edelstein, David (22 June 2001). "They Pull Me Back In". Slate . Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  13. ↑ Travers, Peter (15 June 2001). "Sexy Beast". Rolling Stone . Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  14. ↑ Turan, Kenneth. Sexy Beast: Stylish, but Very Nasty, Los Angeles Times , 13 June 2001. Accessed 4 February 2008.
  15. ↑ Hunter, Stephen (22 June 2001). "'Sexy Beast': Gandhi Goes Gangsta". The Washington Post . Retrieved 4 February 2008.
  16. ↑ "Sexy Beast Box Office" . Retrieved 3 December 2022.
  17. ↑ "Sexy Beast (Original Soundtrack)". Discogs. 12 February 2001. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
  18. ↑ Smyers, Darryl (13 June 2014). "Brian Sella of the Front Bottoms: "I Never Thought Anybody Would Listen to Our Band"". Dallas Observer. Retrieved 31 December 2019.
  19. ↑ "The Kooks: Schooled for Success". The Independent. 3 February 2006. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
  20. ↑ White, Peter (15 February 2022). "'Sexy Beast' Prequel Series, Dead At Paramount Network, Revived At Paramount+". Deadline. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
  21. ↑ Wu, Valerie (4 December 2023). "Paramount+ 'Sexy Beast' Prequel Series Sets Premiere Date, Drops First-Look Photos". Variety. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.