Yet another British crime drama with Ray Winstone, but this one is better than most for a couple of reasons. First, Winstone’s character Gal is a retired criminal, enjoying his new life in Spain with his former porn-star wife (Amanda Redman). Second, the film features a startling turn by Ben Kingsley, shattering all preconceptions we have about hinm as an actor with an edgy, creepy, outlandish turn as a gangster who travels to Spain to get Gal to return to London for one last job. And he will not take no for an answer.
Jonathan Glazer (of Guinness ad and Radiohead video fame) directs the film with real flair–there are several astonishing sequences that keep things fresh, funny and very tense, usually all at the same time. And as Gal is dragged back into his past life, there’s actually a solid point to it all. Which makes a nice change from bost British crime flicks lately.
