by Nicholas Zondervan

Guest Writer

If you're looking for something to do this Saturday evening then I suggest a viewing of ``Sexy Beast'' put on by the Film Arts Committee in the Commons Lecture Hall at 8 pm. The film, which was released last summer, is probably one of the better British films to come out in the past year or two. ``Sexy Beast'' is a dark, sometimes intense crime caper that runs along the same vein as fellow Brit films ``Snatch'' and ``Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels.'' It has an over-the-top attitude, style that's as original as its characters, and an overall ``in your face'' ambience that burns salty tears like the sun at high noon.

The story revolves around two characters of opposite polarities: Gal Dove (Ray Winstone), a retired London crook who now lives in Spain, and Don Logan (Ben Kingsley), a terrifying bulldog of a man who has been come to Spain to talk Dove into yet another heist. Dove, although married to an ex-porn star and living in the lap of criminal luxury, is innocent, peaceful, and altogether reasonable compared to the edgy & precarious Logan.

Logan is perhaps the most original character I've seen on film since ``Fight Club''s Jack, played by Edward Norton. But unlike the somewhat obvious Jack, who says what we all want him to, Kingsley's Logan is horrifically un-real. He is not everything we wish we were or can identify with; Logan is everything that we're afraid of, but nonetheless consider. Kingsley's performance is infinitely mesmerizing. On screen he is dangerous and disconcerting, but his bald head & cold stare pulls you in no matter how uncomfortable the scenario.

It's not just Kingsley's performance, however, that makes this film worth viewing. Jonathan Glazer's direction is vibrant, colorful, and, like his music videos (Jamiroquai's ``Virtual Insanity''), just plain cool.

``Sexy Beast,'' with the help of Glazer, palpitates with ultra-violent style and aggressive filmmaking. The mood is acidic and sour to the taste. The colors are raw and unforgiving. The characters are so real that they appear to be un-real. The pace is wild and intense, with the help of hip-hop artist DJ Shadow. It plays out like a music video, but with a consistency and edge that makes it inescapable, and, un-like watching MTV, you can't change the channel.

``Sexy Beast'' is no walk on the beach, it's the swallow of salty sea water. It's a commentary on the allure of crime, the allure of sin, and the allure of everything that you know is bad for you. Watching this film is like staring at the sun, or eating hot peppers raw: there's really no good reason for it but you want to do it anyway. The film will be shown in the Commons Lecture Hall at 8 pm on Saturday. It will be colorful. It will be intense. It will be undeniable. It will be, like most alluring yet dangerous pursuits, one Sexy Beast.