Intro
I have been hearing about this film for quite some time now… and now that I have had the pleasure of viewing it, I can honestly say it is a great film. If you like British style films (Lock Stock, Snatch, Gangster No. 1)… you will thoroughly enjoy Sexy Beast.
Synopsis
“Jonathan Glazer, the award-winning director of advertisements and music videos, presents his feature film debut with this lushly photographed, expertly written, and brilliantly performed convention-defying …ritish gangster film. SEXY BEAST jettisons the slickness of the LOCK, STOCK, AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS school in favor of intricate character development. In its opening shot, Gary “Gal” Dove (Ray Winstone)–a big-bellied ex-gangster with a cockney accent–is sunning himself pool side at his luxe villa on Spain’s Costa Del Sol when a gigantic boulder hurtles down a hillside, almost killing him. This near miss serves as a troublesome portent, but it hardly affects Gal, who is immersed in his tranquil life with wife Deedee (Amanda Redman), who he adores with earnest fervor. However, Gal’s peace is soon shattered by the arrival of Don Logan (Ben Kingsley, using his shaved skull, spare frame, and ramrod posture to pose as an anti-Gandhi), a brutal former accomplice looking to recruit Gal for a heist. A battle of wills ensues when Gal refuses to leave retirement, and the frighteningly intense Don refuses to take no for an answer. Glazer expertly heightens the film’s tension using shifts in the pacing and flashbacks, while Kingsley and Winstone imbue their characters with gorgeous life.” – Fox
Audio
This DVD sounded great. The 5.1 Dolby Digital soundtrack is very active, not only from the front channels, but also from the rears. The sound effects very clearly positioned throughout the soundstage, and the base levels were deep and sharp. This is the best sounding British crime drama that I have seen on DVD… Great Job!
Video
From the onset of this film, the image artifacts are quite distracting and very common. Fortunately, the damage to the print subsides as the film progresses. The video, other then these blemishes to the print, was very natural and clear. The darks are sharp, and the skin tones were very natural. This DVD really deserved a little picture restoration… but the video quality was still pretty good.
Features
The audio commentary included on this DVD is very informative. Not only does it walk you through the plot and story, it gives some technical background on the filming of the movie and the locations included in the film. A nice addition to this track is the inclusion of Ben Kingsley (who joins producer Jeremy Thomas) to add his thoughts about the film.
The only special feature of importance (other then the commentary) is the making-of featurette. This is a very basic featurette, that features interviews with the cast and crew, and discussing the story of Sexy Beast. If you watch the film first, this featurette will be of no relevance to you… but if you watch this featurette first, it will give you a good understanding of what is to come when you watch the film.
Also included are a medley of trailers from a few other films, and that is all in terms of special features. The menus are fun for this DVD. They feature full audio, and look sharp. The layout is very clean, and the menus set a good tone for the rest of the DVD presentation.
Closing Thoughts
Do no hesitate to buy this DVD. The film is great, the audio is wonderful, and the video and special features hold their own. If you liked other British crime dramas such as Snatch and Gangster No. 1, you will really appreciate what Jonathan Glazer and Fox have done with this release.
Special Features List
- Audio Commentary
- Featurette
- Theatrical trailer
- TV spots
