Move over Freddy, Jason and Michael Myers. You are all old news. And you've got nothing on Don Logan. He would just have to open his mouth to send chills up and down your spine and fear in your veins. He makes you all seem as threatening as a church mouse.
Logan, played by Academy Award winning actor Ben Kingsley ("Gandhi"), is featured in the new film "Sexy Beast." It's hilarious, shocking, violent and daringly original, often all at the same time.
"Sexy Beast" has one of the most unusual beginnings ever put to film. Gary "Gal" Dove (Ray Winstone) is laying outside next to his pool, working on his tan. All of a sudden a huge boulder flies right over his head, missing him by inches, and lands in the middle of his pool. You have to see it to believe it. That surreal moment sets the stage for the rest of the movie.
Gal, a retired and reformed criminal, is living the good life in Spain with his beautiful wife Deedee (Amanda Redman). He has a magnificent home and spends most of his time eating and lounging by the pool. It's the kind of life anybody would want, and Gal is grateful for it.
Unfortunately for Gal, Don disrupts his serene existence. They are old friends and used to do a lot of illegal things together, but they haven't seen each other in years. Now Don is recruiting eight guys for a new job and he desperately wants Gal.
Gal wants nothing to do with the job, and he tells Don this repeatedly. But Don isn't hearing it. He insists that Gal do the job and isn't going to leave until he agrees to do it. This is making life hell for Gal and all those around him.
Also involved in the process of getting Gal to do the job, which involves breaking into a bank vault through the Turkish Bath next door, is a man named Teddy Bass (Ian McShane). Teddy is Don's boss, and, with his jet-black hair, cold eyes and expressionless glare, he is just as frightening as Don is. These two are truly terrifying.
What makes Don so frightening is not so much what he does, but what he might be capable of doing. That and the fact that he is utterly fearless. He refuses to take no for an answer and you never know what he's going to do or say next.
Kingsley is absolutely astonishing here. His performance is intense, ferocious, scary and very funny. It's a character like you've never seen before and hopefully Kinglsey's work won't be forgotten come awards season next year. He is phenomenal.
Much like Don Logan is a one-of-a-kind character, Sexy Beast" is a one-of-a-kind movie. It takes an old formula, the retired criminal called on for one last job, and injects it with creativity, energy and humor. First-time director Jonathan Glazer is a talent to watch.
Hopefully, "Sexy Beast" will catch on with audiences the same way "Memento" did. Both are stunningly original films that deserve to be seen by as many people as possible, and both should be seen more than once. This is one beast that shouldn't be avoided.
Grade: A
"Sexy Beast" starts Fri., June 29 at Landmark's Downer Theatre.