Sexy Beast - Kingsley rules

These days I always think of 'Iron Man 3' when I see 2000's 'Sexy Beast.' I'm not versed in the 'Iron Man' comics, but I understood that 'The Mandarin' was Iron Man's 'nemesis.' Therefore, people got very excited when an actor as well-respected as Sir Ben Kingsley was cast in the role, only for him to be completely 'underused.' Personally, I still thought he was good in Marvel's end to the 'Iron Man' trilogy, but I couldn't help but wonder if Tony Stark had to face 'Don Logan' whether he'd be able to win so easily.

'Sexy Beast' is a gangster film which is about a retired criminal, Gal, (Ray Winstone) who's living the 'high-life' in sunny Spain on the profits of his crimes.  However, what he doesn't know is that he's had the 'honour' of being selected for one last job by Don Logan (Kingsley).  And, as you'll find out if you watch this film, Logan isn't the kind of guy who takes a 'No' to his 'kind' offer.

The film is one of those that's sort of in 'two halves.' The first is set in Spain and charts Don's attempts to persuade Gal to come back to London to carry out a robbery.  The second half... well, you'll just have to find out.  However the movie ends, one thing is clear - Kingsley steals every scene.  He's awesome.  Naturally, his brilliance doesn't mean that he's a 'relatable' character who you'd like to hang out with.  In fact, he's more likely to haunt your dreams in a way that only Freddy Kruger could.  Kingsley is truly terrifying in the role and 'Sexy Beast' is worth watching purely for his performance alone.

Of course that's not to say that Ray Winstone and the rest of the cast aren't good.  It's just that Kingsley is just so perfect in the role that he eclipses everyone around him.  It probably helps if you're into British gangster films and you should be warned about the strong language, violence and some sexual content (not as much sex as you may think, despite the - slightly misleading - title!).  Get ready for one hell of a tense ride which should be at the top of Sir Ben Kingsley's C.V.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one