Sexy Beast

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Sexy Beast ★★★½ 2000 (R)

This British suspense/thriller is not only tense and caustically funny at times, it also has the guy who played Gandhi as a snarling, badass gangster. Ben Kingsley plays Logan, who's sent to southern Spain to lure retired gangster “Gal” Dove (Winstone) back to England for the standard “one last job.” When Gal refuses, Logan threatens nonnonviolence on Gal's wife Deedee (Redman) and pals Aitch (Kendall, in his last role) and Jackie (White). Gal is forced into accepting after some unfortunate events, and the plot, masterminded by Logan's boss Teddy (McShane), is carried out. After the caper is done, however, Gal will have a harder time relaxing poolside with the reminders of the “sexy beast” of his criminal life all too close. Kingsley dominates the movie as the profanityspewing Logan, but the rest of the cast also turn in outstanding performances. 88m/C VHS, DVD . GB Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley, Ian McShane, Amanda Redman, James Fox, Robert Atiko, Julianne White, Cavan Kendall, Alvaro Monje; D: Jonathan Glazer; W: Louis Mellis, David Scinto; C: Ivan Bird; M: Roque Banos. Broadcast Film Critics '02: Support. Actor (Kingsley).