Britain’s contributions to the cinematic form have been vast and glorious. Aardman Animation. Alfred Hitchcock. Olivia Colman. 007. High up that list, too, is the British gangster movie – sure, America may often get the genre limelight with classics like Goodfellas, The Godfather trilogy, and Scarface, but nobody does dark, gritty, violent, and darkly humorous quite like the British. You certainly wouldn’t catch football-hardman-turned-movie-hardman Vinnie Jones rolling down the street with some poor geezer’s bonce trapped in his car window anywhere else, that’s for sure!
And so, with tracksuits on, geezer nicknames doled out, and knuckles dusted, Team Empire assembled a list of the very best British gangster movies ever made. From comedy classics, to bruising turn-of-the-century tales of brutality and crime, to contemporary subversions of the genre formula, we’ve covered all bases. These are films of culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than an 'ot dog,...
And so, with tracksuits on, geezer nicknames doled out, and knuckles dusted, Team Empire assembled a list of the very best British gangster movies ever made. From comedy classics, to bruising turn-of-the-century tales of brutality and crime, to contemporary subversions of the genre formula, we’ve covered all bases. These are films of culture, sophistication, genius. A little bit more than an 'ot dog,...
- 4/3/2024
- by Empire Staff
- Empire - Movies
Exclusive: Sarah Greene is “excited” to be at the center of a high-stakes “love triangle” involving James McArdle and Emun Elliott in Sexy Beast, the Paramount+ prequel to director Jonathan Glazer’s 2000 classic.
Greene tells me she is a great admirer of Amanda Redman’s sultry performance as former adult actress Deedee Harrison – the role that holds a place in the annals of gangster movie history – and the part that the Cork-born Normal People star takes on in the Sexy Beast drama that premieres on Paramount+ this Thursday, January 25.
Greene watched the movie “over and over again and just studied her through line. And she’s very still, she doesn’t say a whole lot.”
We chat just as the actress is in the midst of shooting the second season of Bad Sisters with her Garvey siblings played by Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle and Eve Hewson. “We were all like,...
Greene tells me she is a great admirer of Amanda Redman’s sultry performance as former adult actress Deedee Harrison – the role that holds a place in the annals of gangster movie history – and the part that the Cork-born Normal People star takes on in the Sexy Beast drama that premieres on Paramount+ this Thursday, January 25.
Greene watched the movie “over and over again and just studied her through line. And she’s very still, she doesn’t say a whole lot.”
We chat just as the actress is in the midst of shooting the second season of Bad Sisters with her Garvey siblings played by Sharon Horgan, Anne-Marie Duff, Eva Birthistle and Eve Hewson. “We were all like,...
- 1/23/2024
- by Baz Bamigboye
- Deadline Film + TV
Plot: Gal Dove and Don Logan are best friends and small-town thieves living the good life in ‘90s East London. Deedee Harrison is a captivating adult film star whose ambitions to control her own personal destiny and her love affair with Gal Dove put her in danger. Teddy Bass is a treacherous, rising name in the gangster world who seduces Gal and Don into his criminal web.
Review: Of all the films I never expected to get a prequel, Sexy Beast would never have occurred to me. The 2001 crime movie, director Jonathan Glazer’s feature debut, focused on a pair of former friends whose lives have drifted apart since they were thieves working for a London crime boss. That film was barely a blip at the domestic box office but garnered critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Sir Ben Kingsley. Since Sexy Beast, screenwriters Louis Mellis and David Scinto...
Review: Of all the films I never expected to get a prequel, Sexy Beast would never have occurred to me. The 2001 crime movie, director Jonathan Glazer’s feature debut, focused on a pair of former friends whose lives have drifted apart since they were thieves working for a London crime boss. That film was barely a blip at the domestic box office but garnered critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination for Sir Ben Kingsley. Since Sexy Beast, screenwriters Louis Mellis and David Scinto...
- 1/22/2024
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
A prequel television series to classic crime drama Sexy Beast will stream on Paramount+. Here’s the trailer…
Writer and director Jonathan Glazer is currently enjoying a plaudits for his Holocaust drama The Zone Of Interest. Based on the 2014 novel by Martin Amis, it follows Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hess and his wife as they try to build a life living next door to the concentration camp.
Chosen as the British entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, the film is due to be released in UK cinemas on the 2nd February.
Astonishingly, Glazer has only made four feature films in his career thus far – Sexy Beast in 2000, Birth in 2004, Under The Skin in 2013 and Zone Of Interest. Sexy Beast continues to have notable impact too, staying in the cultural conversation long after it was released. The film followed Ray Winstone as Gary ‘Gal’ Dove, a criminal...
Writer and director Jonathan Glazer is currently enjoying a plaudits for his Holocaust drama The Zone Of Interest. Based on the 2014 novel by Martin Amis, it follows Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Hess and his wife as they try to build a life living next door to the concentration camp.
Chosen as the British entry for Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, the film is due to be released in UK cinemas on the 2nd February.
Astonishingly, Glazer has only made four feature films in his career thus far – Sexy Beast in 2000, Birth in 2004, Under The Skin in 2013 and Zone Of Interest. Sexy Beast continues to have notable impact too, staying in the cultural conversation long after it was released. The film followed Ray Winstone as Gary ‘Gal’ Dove, a criminal...
- 1/10/2024
- by Jake Godfrey
- Film Stories
Way back in 2000, Jonathan Glazer (plus writers Louis Mellis and David Scinto) introduced us to possibly the sweariest version of Ben Kingsley that had ever graced the screen thanks to :a[Sexy Beast]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/sexy-beast-review/' }. If you've ever caught yourself wondering how Gal (Ray Winstone), Teddy (Ian McShane) and Don (Kingsley) came to know each other, now you can thanks to Paramount's willingness to raid its back catalogue for prequel series. Sexy Beast the show is headed our way and the first trailer is online…
James McArdle is Gal here, with Emun Elliott as Don. The duo are best friends and small-town thieves, living the good life in ‘90s East London. Sarah Greene is Deedee Harrison, a captivating adult film star whose ambitions to control her own personal destiny and her love affair with Gal put her in danger.
Stephen Moyer is Teddy Bass,...
James McArdle is Gal here, with Emun Elliott as Don. The duo are best friends and small-town thieves, living the good life in ‘90s East London. Sarah Greene is Deedee Harrison, a captivating adult film star whose ambitions to control her own personal destiny and her love affair with Gal put her in danger.
Stephen Moyer is Teddy Bass,...
- 1/9/2024
- by James White
- Empire - TV
Paramount+ has set January 25 for the premiere of Sexy Beast, the drama series prequel to the 2000 cult British gangster movie, starring James McArdle, Emun Elliott, Tamsin Greig, Stephen Moyer and Sarah Greene. The series will premiere exclusively on the service in the U.S. and international territories where available. You can check out some first-look photos below.
Produced by AC Chapter One and Anonymous Content, in association with Paramount Television International Studios, the prequel series explores the origins of Gal (McArdle) and Don’s (Elliott) complicated relationship as they find themselves descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s, while Gal’s budding relationship with Deedee (Greene) threatens everything in their world.
“I feel very fortunate to be a part of this world,” said series star McArdle. “The original story leaves so much space for us all to wonder what happened within...
Produced by AC Chapter One and Anonymous Content, in association with Paramount Television International Studios, the prequel series explores the origins of Gal (McArdle) and Don’s (Elliott) complicated relationship as they find themselves descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s, while Gal’s budding relationship with Deedee (Greene) threatens everything in their world.
“I feel very fortunate to be a part of this world,” said series star McArdle. “The original story leaves so much space for us all to wonder what happened within...
- 12/4/2023
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
Emun Elliot as Don Logan and James McArdle as Gal Dove in ‘Sexy Beast’ episode 1 season 1 (Photo Credit: Matt Towers/Paramount+)
Paramount+ has set a January 25, 2024 premiere date for the drama Sexy Beast, a prequel to the 2000 feature film starring Sir Ben Kingsley and directed by Jonathan Glazer. The prequel series focuses on the backstories of Gal and Don, played by Ray Winstone and Kingsley in the Oscar-nominated feature film.
James McArdle (Mare of Easttown) stars as Gal Dove and Emun Elliott (The Rig) plays Don Logan. The eight-episode season also features Tamsin Greig (Episodes) as Cecilia, Stephen Moyer (who played an actual sexy beast in True Blood) as Teddy Bass, and Sarah Greene (Bad Sisters) as Deedee Harrison. Additional cast of season one includes Eliza Bennett (Dynasty), Clea Martin (Hanna), Nicholas Nunn (The Victim), Peter Ferdinando (The Letter for the King), John Dagleish (The Third Day), Robbie Gee (Motherland...
Paramount+ has set a January 25, 2024 premiere date for the drama Sexy Beast, a prequel to the 2000 feature film starring Sir Ben Kingsley and directed by Jonathan Glazer. The prequel series focuses on the backstories of Gal and Don, played by Ray Winstone and Kingsley in the Oscar-nominated feature film.
James McArdle (Mare of Easttown) stars as Gal Dove and Emun Elliott (The Rig) plays Don Logan. The eight-episode season also features Tamsin Greig (Episodes) as Cecilia, Stephen Moyer (who played an actual sexy beast in True Blood) as Teddy Bass, and Sarah Greene (Bad Sisters) as Deedee Harrison. Additional cast of season one includes Eliza Bennett (Dynasty), Clea Martin (Hanna), Nicholas Nunn (The Victim), Peter Ferdinando (The Letter for the King), John Dagleish (The Third Day), Robbie Gee (Motherland...
- 12/4/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Paramount+ original series “Sexy Beast” has announced a premiere date of Jan. 25, 2024 and released first-look photos.
The eight-episode UK series serves as a prequel to the 2000 crime thriller film “Sexy Beast.” It traces the relationship between best friends and thieves Gal Dove (James McArdle) and Don Logan (Emun Elliott), who together become involved in London’s criminal world during the 1990s. Gal begins a romance with the seductively alluring adult film star Deedee (Sarah Greene), which proves to be a dangerous endeavor. In the film, the role of Gal was formerly played by Ray Winstone, while the role of Don was played by Ben Kingsley. Deedee was played by Amanda Redman. Michael Caleo (“The Sopranos”) is executive producer, writer and showrunner.
“I feel so fortunate to be able to explore these beautifully crafted characters a decade before we met them in the original story,” Caleo previously said. “This series has...
The eight-episode UK series serves as a prequel to the 2000 crime thriller film “Sexy Beast.” It traces the relationship between best friends and thieves Gal Dove (James McArdle) and Don Logan (Emun Elliott), who together become involved in London’s criminal world during the 1990s. Gal begins a romance with the seductively alluring adult film star Deedee (Sarah Greene), which proves to be a dangerous endeavor. In the film, the role of Gal was formerly played by Ray Winstone, while the role of Don was played by Ben Kingsley. Deedee was played by Amanda Redman. Michael Caleo (“The Sopranos”) is executive producer, writer and showrunner.
“I feel so fortunate to be able to explore these beautifully crafted characters a decade before we met them in the original story,” Caleo previously said. “This series has...
- 12/4/2023
- by Valerie Wu
- Variety Film + TV
Film Independent is currently in the middle of a Matching Campaign to raise support for the next 30 years of filmmaker support. All donations make before or on September 15 will be doubled—dollar-for-dollar up to $100,000. To celebrate the campaign, we’re re-posting a few of our most popular blogs.
From Olivia Colman’s fraught sojourn to the Greek Isles in The Lost Daughter to Jessie Buckley’s terrifying trip up the M5 to the English countryside in Men and M. Night’s bummer beaches in Old, taking a little “me time” away from home is often the single biggest mistake any movie character could possibly make. Horror, psychological drama, comedy, mystery, rom-com. The genre hardly matters. In film, the simple act of taking a vacation is rarely the relaxing, restorative interlude one hopes that it might be, placing uneasy personalities in uncertain—even harrowing—circumstances.
So with Labor Day weekend upon...
From Olivia Colman’s fraught sojourn to the Greek Isles in The Lost Daughter to Jessie Buckley’s terrifying trip up the M5 to the English countryside in Men and M. Night’s bummer beaches in Old, taking a little “me time” away from home is often the single biggest mistake any movie character could possibly make. Horror, psychological drama, comedy, mystery, rom-com. The genre hardly matters. In film, the simple act of taking a vacation is rarely the relaxing, restorative interlude one hopes that it might be, placing uneasy personalities in uncertain—even harrowing—circumstances.
So with Labor Day weekend upon...
- 9/1/2023
- by Matt Warren
- Film Independent News & More
The “Sexy Beast” prequel series at Paramount+ has found its cast, Variety has learned.
The original U.K. drama will star James McArdle as Gal Dove and Emun Elliott as Don Logan, the roles played by Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley respectively in the original 2000 film.
The show follows Gal and Don as best friends and small-time thieves living the good life in ‘90s East London. The series will explore Gal and Don’s complicated relationship as Gal finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s, while falling in love with DeeDee.
Sarah Greene is Deedee, a captivating adult film star, who has the potential to turn Gal’s whole life upside down. DeeDee was played by Amanda Redman in the film
Stephen Moyer is Teddy Bass, a rising name in the gangster world, who Gal and Don are offered...
The original U.K. drama will star James McArdle as Gal Dove and Emun Elliott as Don Logan, the roles played by Ray Winstone and Ben Kingsley respectively in the original 2000 film.
The show follows Gal and Don as best friends and small-time thieves living the good life in ‘90s East London. The series will explore Gal and Don’s complicated relationship as Gal finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s, while falling in love with DeeDee.
Sarah Greene is Deedee, a captivating adult film star, who has the potential to turn Gal’s whole life upside down. DeeDee was played by Amanda Redman in the film
Stephen Moyer is Teddy Bass, a rising name in the gangster world, who Gal and Don are offered...
- 8/8/2022
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Paramount+ has set the lead cast for its upcoming drama series Sexy Beast, the prequel to the 2000 cult British gangster movie, which is set to premiere in 2023.
The series will track the origin story of the Gal Dove, Don Logan and Teddy Bass characters, played in the movie by Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane, respectively. It will explore Gal and Don’s complicated relationship as Gal finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s, while falling in love with DeeDee.
James McArdle (Mare of Easttown) leads the cast as Gal Dove, with Emun Elliot (The Gold) starring as Don Logan, Gal’s best friend. The pair are small-town thieves living the good life in ‘90s East London.
Sarah Greene (Normal People) is Deedee, an adult film star with the potential to turn Gal’s whole life upside down.
The series will track the origin story of the Gal Dove, Don Logan and Teddy Bass characters, played in the movie by Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane, respectively. It will explore Gal and Don’s complicated relationship as Gal finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s, while falling in love with DeeDee.
James McArdle (Mare of Easttown) leads the cast as Gal Dove, with Emun Elliot (The Gold) starring as Don Logan, Gal’s best friend. The pair are small-town thieves living the good life in ‘90s East London.
Sarah Greene (Normal People) is Deedee, an adult film star with the potential to turn Gal’s whole life upside down.
- 8/8/2022
- by Sofia Behzadi
- Deadline Film + TV
Paramount Network is moving ahead with a prequel TV series adapting the acclaimed crime drama, Sexy Beast.
Sexy Beast made its share of waves during the 2002 awards season, notably due to the 2001-released crime drama’s showcase of Sir Ben Kingsley – in shockingly transformative form – in his Best Supporting Oscar-nominated performance as the sociopathic powder-keg of a criminal, Don Logan. However, it seems that the property will do so again, this time in the form of a prequel TV series on the Paramount Network.
Indeed, the Sexy Beast prequel series – a shopped project picked up last year – has officially received the green light from Paramount Network, which just made the confident-inspired move of a straight-to-series order for a 10-episode inaugural season, according to Variety.
While no casting information has been revealed, the series, reportedly set during “the vibrant and volatile 1990s,” will explore the formation of the...
Sexy Beast made its share of waves during the 2002 awards season, notably due to the 2001-released crime drama’s showcase of Sir Ben Kingsley – in shockingly transformative form – in his Best Supporting Oscar-nominated performance as the sociopathic powder-keg of a criminal, Don Logan. However, it seems that the property will do so again, this time in the form of a prequel TV series on the Paramount Network.
Indeed, the Sexy Beast prequel series – a shopped project picked up last year – has officially received the green light from Paramount Network, which just made the confident-inspired move of a straight-to-series order for a 10-episode inaugural season, according to Variety.
While no casting information has been revealed, the series, reportedly set during “the vibrant and volatile 1990s,” will explore the formation of the...
- 7/11/2019
- Den of Geek
A TV series adaptation of “Sexy Beast,” the 2000 British film, has been ordered by Paramount Network.
Michael Caleo will write and executive produce the series, with Karyn Kusama on board as directer and executive producer through her company, Familystyle. Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay will also serve as executive producers on the show, alongside the film’s original screenwriters Louis Mellis and David Scinto.
The 2000 film was directed by Jonathan Glazer and starred Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane. Kinglsey earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.
Also Read: Paramount Network Orders Michelle MacLaren Border Patrol Drama Starring Michael Chiklis
The TV series will tell the origin story of Winstone’s lead character, Gal Dove, a brilliant thief who finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s. The series will explore the early days of Gal’s complicated relationship with Don Logan,...
Michael Caleo will write and executive produce the series, with Karyn Kusama on board as directer and executive producer through her company, Familystyle. Matt Manfredi and Phil Hay will also serve as executive producers on the show, alongside the film’s original screenwriters Louis Mellis and David Scinto.
The 2000 film was directed by Jonathan Glazer and starred Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane. Kinglsey earned a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination.
Also Read: Paramount Network Orders Michelle MacLaren Border Patrol Drama Starring Michael Chiklis
The TV series will tell the origin story of Winstone’s lead character, Gal Dove, a brilliant thief who finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s. The series will explore the early days of Gal’s complicated relationship with Don Logan,...
- 7/11/2019
- by Tim Baysinger
- The Wrap
Paramount Network has ordered a 10-episode first season of Sexy Beast, a series adaptation from Paramount Television and Anonymous Content based on the cult British gangster movie. Michael Caleo (The Sopranos) will write the series and executive produce.
Sexy Beast, the series, tells the origin story of the Gal Dove, Don Logan and Teddy Bass characters, played in the 2000 movie by Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane, respectively. Gal Dove is a brilliant thief who finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s. The series will explore the early days of Gal’s complicated relationship with Logan, a vicious gangster with whom Gal forms a partnership, the beginnings of his association with criminal mastermind Bass, and how Gal met and fell in love with DeeDee, an adult film star who would become his wife.
Karyn Kusama (Destroyer) is directing...
Sexy Beast, the series, tells the origin story of the Gal Dove, Don Logan and Teddy Bass characters, played in the 2000 movie by Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane, respectively. Gal Dove is a brilliant thief who finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s. The series will explore the early days of Gal’s complicated relationship with Logan, a vicious gangster with whom Gal forms a partnership, the beginnings of his association with criminal mastermind Bass, and how Gal met and fell in love with DeeDee, an adult film star who would become his wife.
Karyn Kusama (Destroyer) is directing...
- 7/11/2019
- by Denise Petski
- Deadline Film + TV
A series adaptation of the 2000 movie “Sexy Beast” has been ordered to series at Paramount Network, Variety has learned exclusively.
The series will tell the origin story of Gal Dove (played in the film by Ray Winstone), a brilliant thief who finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s. The series will explore the early days of Gal’s complicated relationship with Don Logan (played in the film by Ben Kingsley), a vicious gangster with whom Gal forms a partnership, the beginnings of his association with criminal mastermind Teddy Bass (played in the film by Ian McShane), and how Gal met and fell in love with DeeDee (played in the film by Amanda Redman), an adult film star who would become his wife.
Paramount Network has ordered a 10-episode first season. Michael Caleo will serve as writer and executive producer on the series,...
The series will tell the origin story of Gal Dove (played in the film by Ray Winstone), a brilliant thief who finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s. The series will explore the early days of Gal’s complicated relationship with Don Logan (played in the film by Ben Kingsley), a vicious gangster with whom Gal forms a partnership, the beginnings of his association with criminal mastermind Teddy Bass (played in the film by Ian McShane), and how Gal met and fell in love with DeeDee (played in the film by Amanda Redman), an adult film star who would become his wife.
Paramount Network has ordered a 10-episode first season. Michael Caleo will serve as writer and executive producer on the series,...
- 7/11/2019
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Since its release in 2000, Jonathan Glazer’s Sexy Beast has gone on to become somewhat of a cult classic. Fast forward to 18 years later and the story looks set to be getting a TV series prequel treatment from Anonymous Content and Paramount Television.
The prequel series – which has to yet to find a Network to broadcast the show – will tell the story of up-and-coming criminal Gal Dove as he forms a partnership with Don Logan, starts working for criminal mastermind Teddy Bass and meets and falls in love with adult film star DeeDee — his future wife. Gal is a brilliant thief and Don is a vicious gangster, and the series will explore the pair’s complicated relationship as Gal finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s
Casting has yet to take place for the younger characters of Gal, Teddy and Don.
The prequel series – which has to yet to find a Network to broadcast the show – will tell the story of up-and-coming criminal Gal Dove as he forms a partnership with Don Logan, starts working for criminal mastermind Teddy Bass and meets and falls in love with adult film star DeeDee — his future wife. Gal is a brilliant thief and Don is a vicious gangster, and the series will explore the pair’s complicated relationship as Gal finds himself descending into the seductive madness of the London criminal world during the vibrant and volatile 1990s
Casting has yet to take place for the younger characters of Gal, Teddy and Don.
- 8/17/2018
- by Zehra Phelan
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Exclusive: The cult British gangster movie Sexy Beast is getting a small-screen prequel. Anonymous Content and Paramount Television have acquired the TV rights to the 2000 film for a TV series that will track the origin story of the Gal Dove, Don Logan and Teddy Bass characters, played in the movie by Ray Winstone, Ben Kingsley and Ian McShane, respectively. Writer Michael Caleo, whose TV credits include The Sopranos and Rescue Me, will write the adaptation.
Directed by Jonathan Glazer from a screenplay by Louis Mellis and David Scinto, the film follows Gal Dove (Winstone) an ex-criminal who had moved to Spain with his wife DeeDee (Amanda Redman) to start a new life, and Don Logan (Kingsley), an old criminal associate who aggressively recruits him for a heist job on behalf of crime lord Teddy Bass (McShane).
The potential series, which will be shopped to cable and streaming networks, will tell...
Directed by Jonathan Glazer from a screenplay by Louis Mellis and David Scinto, the film follows Gal Dove (Winstone) an ex-criminal who had moved to Spain with his wife DeeDee (Amanda Redman) to start a new life, and Don Logan (Kingsley), an old criminal associate who aggressively recruits him for a heist job on behalf of crime lord Teddy Bass (McShane).
The potential series, which will be shopped to cable and streaming networks, will tell...
- 8/16/2018
- by Nellie Andreeva
- Deadline Film + TV
A foul-mouthed script with little wit leaves Jude Law struggling in this ex-con story
This foul-mouthed study of a lag making his reappearance in the world after 12 years of schtum-keeping porridge cries out for the sweary Chaucerian wit of Louis Mellis and David Scinto. Sadly, it winds up sounding more like a second-rate, late-period Pinter pastiche, as Jude Law's eponymous ex-con struts around shouting about his cock to the annoyance of everyone, audience included.
Richard E Grant is served little better; scenes of his louche, one-handed wastrel propping up the bar with his recently released cohort demand the acerbic witticisms that Bruce Robinson once made his stock in trade, but writer/director Richard Shepard (who directed the pilot for Ugly Betty) seems oddly off the boil, his script lacking the pizzazz that once allowed Pierce Brosnan to shine in The Matador.
In the end, scabrousness turns to sentimentality, but...
This foul-mouthed study of a lag making his reappearance in the world after 12 years of schtum-keeping porridge cries out for the sweary Chaucerian wit of Louis Mellis and David Scinto. Sadly, it winds up sounding more like a second-rate, late-period Pinter pastiche, as Jude Law's eponymous ex-con struts around shouting about his cock to the annoyance of everyone, audience included.
Richard E Grant is served little better; scenes of his louche, one-handed wastrel propping up the bar with his recently released cohort demand the acerbic witticisms that Bruce Robinson once made his stock in trade, but writer/director Richard Shepard (who directed the pilot for Ugly Betty) seems oddly off the boil, his script lacking the pizzazz that once allowed Pierce Brosnan to shine in The Matador.
In the end, scabrousness turns to sentimentality, but...
- 11/17/2013
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Director Malcolm Venville's gangster feature, "44 Inch Chest", from the writers of "Sexy Beast", stars Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Joanne Whalley and Ian McShane. Screenplay is by Louis Mellis and David Scinto for producers Richard Brown and Steve Golin :
"...'Colin Diamond' (Winstone) is a successful car salesman, who after discovering his wife 'Liz' (Whalley) is having an affair has an emotional breakdown. His friends, who convince him to kidnap his wife's lover include suave gambler 'Meredith' (McShane), bigoted 'Old Man Peanut' (Hurt), down to earth 'Archie' (Wilkinson) and the combustible 'Mal' (Dillane)..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "44 Inch Chest"...
"...'Colin Diamond' (Winstone) is a successful car salesman, who after discovering his wife 'Liz' (Whalley) is having an affair has an emotional breakdown. His friends, who convince him to kidnap his wife's lover include suave gambler 'Meredith' (McShane), bigoted 'Old Man Peanut' (Hurt), down to earth 'Archie' (Wilkinson) and the combustible 'Mal' (Dillane)..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "44 Inch Chest"...
- 4/12/2011
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Sneak Peek the $10 million-budgeted crime feature "44 Inch Chest", starring Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson.
Screenplay is by Louis Mellis/David Scinto ("Sexy Beast") and produced by Richard Brown/Steve Golin ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind").
"44 Inch Chest" is also noted as the feature directorial debut of UK commercial director Malcolm Venville, with cinematography by Daniel Landin and a collaborative musical score between Angelo Badalamenti and Massive Attack.
"...'Colin Diamond' (Winstone) is a successful car salesman, who after discovering his wife 'Liz' is having an affair has an emotional breakdown. Diamond's friends convince him to kidnap his wife's lover. Diamond's partners in crime are gambler 'Meredith' (McShane), bigoted 'Old Man Peanut' (Hurt), practical 'Archie (Wilkinson) and combustible 'Mal (Stephen Dillane), who by turns encourages Diamond's lust for revenge..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "44 Inch Chest"...
Screenplay is by Louis Mellis/David Scinto ("Sexy Beast") and produced by Richard Brown/Steve Golin ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind").
"44 Inch Chest" is also noted as the feature directorial debut of UK commercial director Malcolm Venville, with cinematography by Daniel Landin and a collaborative musical score between Angelo Badalamenti and Massive Attack.
"...'Colin Diamond' (Winstone) is a successful car salesman, who after discovering his wife 'Liz' is having an affair has an emotional breakdown. Diamond's friends convince him to kidnap his wife's lover. Diamond's partners in crime are gambler 'Meredith' (McShane), bigoted 'Old Man Peanut' (Hurt), practical 'Archie (Wilkinson) and combustible 'Mal (Stephen Dillane), who by turns encourages Diamond's lust for revenge..."
Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "44 Inch Chest"...
- 8/22/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
Christopher Walken and Johnny Hallyday have joined while Javier Bardem has been confirmed to be onboard the Tony Scott-directed $38 million action thriller "Potzdamer Platz" for Scott Free reports French newspaper Le Parisien by way of The Playlist.
The drama follows two soldiers in a New Jersey-based crime family who try to expand internationally. Though the title refers to the famed public square in central Berlin, the action will be shifted to Puerto Rico and the title will likely change with it.
Mickey Rourke has already been long confirmed to be involved. Jason Statham was said to be circling earlier this year while Scott was hoping to lure both Al Pacino and Gene Hackman for roles - no word if any of those three will be involved.
David Scinto and Louis Mellis ("Sexy Beast") have re-written a script by Buddy Giovinazzo and shooting kicks off in January in Puerto Rico.
The drama follows two soldiers in a New Jersey-based crime family who try to expand internationally. Though the title refers to the famed public square in central Berlin, the action will be shifted to Puerto Rico and the title will likely change with it.
Mickey Rourke has already been long confirmed to be involved. Jason Statham was said to be circling earlier this year while Scott was hoping to lure both Al Pacino and Gene Hackman for roles - no word if any of those three will be involved.
David Scinto and Louis Mellis ("Sexy Beast") have re-written a script by Buddy Giovinazzo and shooting kicks off in January in Puerto Rico.
- 7/9/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Mickey Rourke will star in a currently untitled thriller to be directed by Tony Scott. The film, which has been picked up by Lionsgate, follows two New Jersey mobsters who are assigned to destroy a Puerto Rico crime lord's den, but find a young girl there when they arrive. The script is penned by Sexy Beast scirbes Louis Mellis and David Scinto, adapted from Buddy Giovinazzo's novel Potsdamer Platz, Scott is also set to produce through Scott Free Productions, with shooting planned for later this year in Puerto Rico amongst...
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- 5/19/2010
- by Emma Dibdin
- TotalFilm
With their florid use of the F-Word, Ray Winstone and his low-life cronies hit a high note
Can profanity be poetic? Does swearing make a screenplay soar? Can excessive use of the F-word push back the literary frontiers?
Singular screenwriters Louis Mellis and David Scinto (who penned Sexy Beast after disowning the equally edgy Gangster No 1) clearly think so and on the evidence of 44 Inch Chest they may have a point. I struggle to remember a movie which contains quite so much blistering Anglo-Saxon verbosity or which features a line to rival the full-frontal, four-letter phrase: "You fucked his fucking wife, you fucking wife fucker!" The swearing is so intense, so incessant, so insane, that at times you start to wonder whether the ghosts of Derek and Clive haven't entered the room to fulminate upon the subject of "the worst job I ever had…" And yet in the midst of...
Can profanity be poetic? Does swearing make a screenplay soar? Can excessive use of the F-word push back the literary frontiers?
Singular screenwriters Louis Mellis and David Scinto (who penned Sexy Beast after disowning the equally edgy Gangster No 1) clearly think so and on the evidence of 44 Inch Chest they may have a point. I struggle to remember a movie which contains quite so much blistering Anglo-Saxon verbosity or which features a line to rival the full-frontal, four-letter phrase: "You fucked his fucking wife, you fucking wife fucker!" The swearing is so intense, so incessant, so insane, that at times you start to wonder whether the ghosts of Derek and Clive haven't entered the room to fulminate upon the subject of "the worst job I ever had…" And yet in the midst of...
- 5/8/2010
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
Back in the day, it was almost certain that glossy action director Tony Scott would be helming an La-bound remake of The Warriors, an idea that I saw the merit in but ultimately despised because of my love for the original. Luckily, he’s pushed that and a variety of other projects to the side to make way for his next picture, entitled Potsdamer Platz.
The oddly-titled film (which will certainly be retitled before it goes into production) will star Javier Bardem of No Country for Old Men, tough guy Jason Statham and Mickey “Career-Renaissance” Rourke. It is based on a script by Buddy Giovinazzo, David Scinto and Louis Mellis, names that are all unfamiliar to me.
Platz centers on the story of the Jersey mob taking over construction business in Puerto Rico (in the script, Germany, hence the awkward title). Scott has apparently been sitting on the original drafts...
The oddly-titled film (which will certainly be retitled before it goes into production) will star Javier Bardem of No Country for Old Men, tough guy Jason Statham and Mickey “Career-Renaissance” Rourke. It is based on a script by Buddy Giovinazzo, David Scinto and Louis Mellis, names that are all unfamiliar to me.
Platz centers on the story of the Jersey mob taking over construction business in Puerto Rico (in the script, Germany, hence the awkward title). Scott has apparently been sitting on the original drafts...
- 4/9/2010
- ReelLoop.com
Tony Scott’s film style is a little bit more rock n’ roll than older brother Ridley’s. He’s made some of Hollywood’s most iconic and lambasted pictures. Top Gun, Beverley Hills Cop 2 and Days Of Thunder, for example. Scott likes genre movies that you don’t particularly have to think too hard about. They’re the antithesis of Ridley’s. Loud, brash and vulgar – just like Scott’s one-time producer Don Simpson.
Coming Soon have it that Tony’s next movie will be the intriguingly-titled Potzdamer Platz. No, it’s not some German arthouse movie, but yep, you guessed it – a crime thriller about New Jersey mobsters. Scott has lined up Mickey Rourke, Javier Bardem and, er, Jason Statham to headline the cast.
David Scinto and Louis Mellis, who wrote the excellent Sexy Beast, are currently working hard on a script in order to begin production this autumn.
Coming Soon have it that Tony’s next movie will be the intriguingly-titled Potzdamer Platz. No, it’s not some German arthouse movie, but yep, you guessed it – a crime thriller about New Jersey mobsters. Scott has lined up Mickey Rourke, Javier Bardem and, er, Jason Statham to headline the cast.
David Scinto and Louis Mellis, who wrote the excellent Sexy Beast, are currently working hard on a script in order to begin production this autumn.
- 4/8/2010
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
Javier Bardem, Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke are all circling the Tony Scott-directed $38 million action thriller "Potzdamer Platz" for Scott Free reports Deadline New York.
The drama follows two soldiers in a New Jersey-based crime family who try to expand internationally. Though the title refers to the famed public square in central Berlin, the action will be shifted to Puerto Rico.
Scott is also hoping to lure Gene Hackman out of retirement to join the project. David Scinto and Louis Mellis ("Sexy Beast") have re-written a script by Buddy Giovinazzo.
Filming is aiming for a Fall start. Though no distributor is yet locked, Fox is tipped to score the property.
The drama follows two soldiers in a New Jersey-based crime family who try to expand internationally. Though the title refers to the famed public square in central Berlin, the action will be shifted to Puerto Rico.
Scott is also hoping to lure Gene Hackman out of retirement to join the project. David Scinto and Louis Mellis ("Sexy Beast") have re-written a script by Buddy Giovinazzo.
Filming is aiming for a Fall start. Though no distributor is yet locked, Fox is tipped to score the property.
- 4/8/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Tony Scott has lined up Potsdamer Platz as his next film. Intriguing title (it’s named after a Berlin landmark), what’s it all about? Well, the script was written by Buddy Giovinazzo, but was given a buff up last year by former writing team David Scinto and Louis Mellis. It’s said to be based on the true story of the Jersey mob “when they tried to take over the construction business in Germany,” according to Scott. The director plans to take the idea and drag it into contemporary times – while...
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- 4/8/2010
- by Josh Winning
- TotalFilm
Tony Scott is looking to gather one hell of a leading trio as he slots the pieces into place to make his next movie, crime drama Potzdamer Platz. If it all comes together, we could actually see the combo of Jason Statham, Mickey Rourke and Javier Bardem in one film.While Scott hasn’t finally locked everything into place just yet – the movie, which according to Deadline New York could well get a new title, doesn’t have full financing or studio backing in place yet – he’s definitely interested in getting moving on the passion project, a tale of two members of a New Jersey crime family who figure they can take business to the international level.Sexy Beast writers David Scinto and Louis Mellis have written the current draft of the script and several parties, including Lionsgate and Fox, are considering backing it.With luck, it could be...
- 4/8/2010
- EmpireOnline
That's right folks, director Tony Scott might actually be directing a movie without Denzel Washington as Deadline reports a drama with the messy title Potzdamer Platz might be his next project after finishing Unstoppable, the action flick starring Chris Pine, and, yes, Denzel Washington. Apparently the filmmaker already has the interest of Javier Bardem, Mickey Rourke and Jason Statham for a story about two soldiers in a New Jersey-based crime family who try to expand internationally, however it's unclear if they're all interested in the same part, or three different roles. Apparently this has been in development since 2000. This is one of a couple of passion projects that Scott has brought up occasionally over the years along with a remake of the Walter Hill's Warriors. The original script by Buddy Giovinazzo has been rewritten by Sexy Beast writers David Scinto and Louis Mellis, and it's looking like the title...
- 4/8/2010
- by Ethan Anderton
- firstshowing.net
Could a gangster movie starring Javier Bardem, Jason Statham and Mickey Rourke get any more badass? I don’t think so. According to Deadline, the trio has nearly sealed the deal to star in Tony Scott’s next project, Potsdamer Platz. Scott’s had Buddy Giovinazzo’s script in his hands for quite sometime. His Scott Free banner acquired it back in 2000 and since, the piece was rewritten by the ex-screenwriting duo David Scinto and Louis Mellis. It’s about the true story of two New Jersey mobsters who try to do business abroad. Scott still has a number of issues to take care of before his passion project begins shooting in the fall. First off, [...]...
- 4/8/2010
- by Perri Nemiroff
- ShockYa
Harrison Ford Confirmed for Cowboys and#038; Aliens: Yesterday rumors began swirling that Harrison Ford had joined Daniel Craig and Olivia Wilde in Cowboys and#038; Aliens, Jon Favreau's follow-up to Iron Man, and today the director confirmed via Twitter the rumors were true. Details on Ford's character are as yet unknown, but the script was adapted from the Platinum Studios Comics graphic novel written by Fred Van Lente and Andrew Foley. The sci-fi Western explores what would happen if the traditional Old West enemies -- cowboys and Native Americans -- found the prairie attacked by aliens in mid-1800s Arizona. Iron Man and Children of Men scripters Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus took a first stab at the script, which was then worked on by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Star Trek) and Damon Lindelof ("Lost"). The film currently has a July 29, 2011 release date. [Twitter]
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- 4/7/2010
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
One of the first things to pop into my mind when I first heard about 44 Inch Chest was �What an interesting title? I wonder where it came from?� Maybe it refers to a measurement, or maybe it�s something entirely abstract. To be honest, after seeing the movie I still couldn�t tell you the meaning for sure, if there even is a meaning. However, what I can tell you is that 44 Inch Chest is a film that drew me in, wrapped its sharply written dialogue and it�s enigmatic story around my brain for 95 minutes of cinematic excellence.
Written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto, who previously gave us the British gangster film Sexy Beast, and directed by Malcolm Venville in his feature film debut, 44 Inch Chest hits audience heads with a hammer of hardcore dialogue. The fast-paced, sharp-tongued conversations that dominate this film are reminiscent of David Mamet,...
Written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto, who previously gave us the British gangster film Sexy Beast, and directed by Malcolm Venville in his feature film debut, 44 Inch Chest hits audience heads with a hammer of hardcore dialogue. The fast-paced, sharp-tongued conversations that dominate this film are reminiscent of David Mamet,...
- 2/26/2010
- by Travis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Two new stills from Little Fockers, three from The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, and twenty from Tekken.
There's also five behind-the scenes photos from Predators, maquettes of the 'Version 6' armor seen in the upcoming Iron Man 2, and some impressive early but ultimately discarded artwork from last year's Inglourious Basterds.
A sample from Paul Haslinger's rejected rock-themed score for "The Wolfman" is up at Chud.
Paramount Pictures has announced a September 2nd 2010 Australian release date for the film adaptation of John Marsden’s best-selling "Tomorrow: When the War Began". A teaser trailer and first poster is due out at Easter, followed by a regular trailer around mid-year.
"Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all Us and Latin American rights to David Michod’s Sundance prize winner “Animal Kingdom..." (full details)
"Remember the "Harry Potter" broomsticks that vibrated and had to be recalled because young girls enjoyed playing with them a little too much?...
There's also five behind-the scenes photos from Predators, maquettes of the 'Version 6' armor seen in the upcoming Iron Man 2, and some impressive early but ultimately discarded artwork from last year's Inglourious Basterds.
A sample from Paul Haslinger's rejected rock-themed score for "The Wolfman" is up at Chud.
Paramount Pictures has announced a September 2nd 2010 Australian release date for the film adaptation of John Marsden’s best-selling "Tomorrow: When the War Began". A teaser trailer and first poster is due out at Easter, followed by a regular trailer around mid-year.
"Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all Us and Latin American rights to David Michod’s Sundance prize winner “Animal Kingdom..." (full details)
"Remember the "Harry Potter" broomsticks that vibrated and had to be recalled because young girls enjoyed playing with them a little too much?...
- 2/18/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Despite having major roles in movies like The Departed and Beowulf (we will take this moment to ignore Indy 4), Ray Winstone is not yet the major name he should be in the States. It takes a lot of skill to be over 50 and still make audiences feel as though you can kick their ass at the drop of a hat. One of his most undersung performances is in Sexy Beast, where while he admittedly gets overshadowed by Ben Kingsley's performance, but nonetheless puts on a great show, aided by a great script. So why not return to the well? David Scinto, who wrote the script for Sexy Beast with partner Louis Mellis, is about to direct his first film, and Winstone will be all over it, according to THR. The film, titled Night Flower, is being described as "terrifying romantic thriller," and will be Winstone's third team-up with the writer,...
- 2/16/2010
- cinemablend.com
Ray Winstone is currently starring in 44 Inch Chest, which was written by Sexy Beast writers Louis Mellis and David Scinto. Mellis and Scinto have since stopped working together, and Scinto is now poised to make the jump to director. As leading man in his debut Night Flower, he's tapped a reliable presence: Ray Winstone. From there the cast gets better, as Ben Whishaw and Andrew Garfield are currently in talks to join. We don't have many details on the script, which Scinto wrote and is called a "terrifying romantic thriller" in THR's report. As shooting is not scheduled to start until this fall we'll probably have to wait a bit before hearing any more. But having Winstone, Whishaw and Garfield together should be great, and I'm excited to see what Scinto comes up with on his own. After the break, the young version of Conan the Barbarian is cast, and...
- 2/16/2010
- by Russ Fischer
- Slash Film
“Romantic” and “Ray Winstone” don’t exactly go together. But add “terrifying” and “thriller” and it’s a whole ‘nother story. THR has Winstone re-teaming with his “Sexy Beast” writer David Scinto for the movie “Night Flower”, along with actors Ben Whishaw (“Bright Star”) and Andrew Garfield (“The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus”). The film is described as a “terrifying romantic thriller”, three words you don’t usually hear being spoken in the same breath. From the guys who gave us the incredible “Sexy Beast” I don’t expect any less. Scinto will make his directorial debut on the film, which is scheduled to shoot later this fall.
- 2/13/2010
- by Nix
- Beyond Hollywood
Ray Winstone is reteaming with his Sexy Beast and 44 Inch Chest scribe David Scinto for the screenwriter's directing debut - which is being called not a gangster film, but a "terrifying romantic thriller". Night Flower would obviously involve a female lead of some sorts and word is that a pair of young, talented Brit actors Ben Whishaw (Bright Star) and Andrew Garfield (Never Let Me Go) are also in talks to join the cast. The pic is expected to go into production in the fall. - Ray Winstone is reteaming with his Sexy Beast and 44 Inch Chest scribe David Scinto for the screenwriter's directing debut - which is being called not a gangster film, but a "terrifying romantic thriller". Night Flower would obviously involve a female lead of some sorts and word is that a pair of young, talented Brit actors Ben Whishaw (Bright Star) and Andrew Garfield (Never Let Me Go...
- 2/13/2010
- IONCINEMA.com
Ray Winstone. Ian McShane. John Hurt. Tom Wilkinson. Stephen Dillane. Just seeing those names together on a poster should get any fan of English film excited. But throw in a screenwriting credit for Louis Mellis and David Scinto, who wrote "Sexy Beast," and that's a genuine cause for celebration. And if you're a fan of Malcolm Venville as a photographer or for his striking commercial work, then that's just bonus on bonus since this film marks his feature directorial debut. So with all that potential in front of and behind the camera, does the film live up to it? Yes and...
- 1/21/2010
- Hitfix
Show of (virtual) hands: who here saw "Sexy Beast"? It's a fun, clever tale about a retired gangster who is drawn back into the underworld by a very tempting offer. Only everything goes to crap and our poor gangster ends up with more headache than bonus retirement funds.
I'm mentioning "Sexy Beast" today because its writers, Louis Mellis and David Scinto, are back with the just-released "44 Inch Chest." Ray Winstone, star of "Sexy," headlines the story, a jealous husband who kidnaps and tortures his wife's lover. In our exclusive clip below, you can see Winstone introducing himself to his kidnappee in grand fashion, with a flowery explanation of what love means. It's both touching and disturbing. Enjoy.
I'm mentioning "Sexy Beast" today because its writers, Louis Mellis and David Scinto, are back with the just-released "44 Inch Chest." Ray Winstone, star of "Sexy," headlines the story, a jealous husband who kidnaps and tortures his wife's lover. In our exclusive clip below, you can see Winstone introducing himself to his kidnappee in grand fashion, with a flowery explanation of what love means. It's both touching and disturbing. Enjoy.
- 1/20/2010
- by Adam Rosenberg
- MTV Movies Blog
Ray Winstone has criticised BAFTA for ignoring his latest film 44 Inch Chest during awards season. Speaking to Digital Spy, Winstone suggested that the crime drama's artistic merits have been overlooked because of its use of bad language. "I'm not saying it's the greatest film ever made. I'm only going by what people tell me; that it's a great film and it's a British film with British actors and British writers and it's been overlooked by the BAFTAs," Winstone said. "Even for the sake of 'British Newcomer'. What about [director] Malcolm Venville? Or, the script. So, maybe there is that snobbery." The actor claimed that his earlier film Sexy Beast, which was written by 44 Inch Chest pair Louis Mellis and David Scinto, faced similar problems and wasn't given (more)...
- 1/16/2010
- by By Simon Reynolds
- Digital Spy
Rating: 6.5/10
Writer: Louis Mellis & David Scinto
Director: Malcolm Venville
Cast: John Hurt, Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Legeno, Joanne Whalley
Studio: Image Entertainment
Much of the marketing for 44 Inch Chest misses the mark. The trailer would lead you to believe that you’re in for a rock ‘em, sock ‘em testosterone fest with a Guy Ritchie-esque punch square in the kisser. But 44 Inch Chest is much closer to a stage play put to screen, a meditation on masculinity and its effect on the modern male psyche.
Read more on Theatrical Review: 44 Inch Chest…
Tweet This! Share this on del.icio.us Share this on Facebook Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Digg this! Email this to a friend?...
Writer: Louis Mellis & David Scinto
Director: Malcolm Venville
Cast: John Hurt, Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson, Dave Legeno, Joanne Whalley
Studio: Image Entertainment
Much of the marketing for 44 Inch Chest misses the mark. The trailer would lead you to believe that you’re in for a rock ‘em, sock ‘em testosterone fest with a Guy Ritchie-esque punch square in the kisser. But 44 Inch Chest is much closer to a stage play put to screen, a meditation on masculinity and its effect on the modern male psyche.
Read more on Theatrical Review: 44 Inch Chest…
Tweet This! Share this on del.icio.us Share this on Facebook Stumble upon something good? Share it on StumbleUpon Share this on Technorati Digg this! Email this to a friend?...
- 1/15/2010
- by Kate Erbland
- GordonandtheWhale
With 44 Inch Chest in the cinemas, the writing team behind Gangster No 1 and Sexy Beast are back - sort of
A decade after Gangster No 1 and Sexy Beast established them as the enfants terribles of British screenwriting, Louis Mellis and David Scinto are back, after a fashion. They broke up their writing partnership three years ago, but 44 Inch Chest, the last of their gangster triptych, written at the same time as the others, finally arrives in cinemas this month.
The story of its gestation is a cautionary tale that says much about the clannishness of the British film industry. Mellis and Scinto got stuck with a reputation for being wild, unnervingly close in character to their subjects. They first gained a reputation for combustibility when they walked off Gangster No 1 in a row over casting. The fact that Scinto was a former nightclub bouncer just added to their legend. "People told lies about us,...
A decade after Gangster No 1 and Sexy Beast established them as the enfants terribles of British screenwriting, Louis Mellis and David Scinto are back, after a fashion. They broke up their writing partnership three years ago, but 44 Inch Chest, the last of their gangster triptych, written at the same time as the others, finally arrives in cinemas this month.
The story of its gestation is a cautionary tale that says much about the clannishness of the British film industry. Mellis and Scinto got stuck with a reputation for being wild, unnervingly close in character to their subjects. They first gained a reputation for combustibility when they walked off Gangster No 1 in a row over casting. The fact that Scinto was a former nightclub bouncer just added to their legend. "People told lies about us,...
- 1/14/2010
- by Adam Dawtrey
- The Guardian - Film News
The film talks the talk - in fact, it talks and talks and talks the talk. But the walk isn't happening
In their script for Sexy Beast, screenwriters Louis Mellis and David Scinto gave us a Brit-crime classic, and created career-gold parts for Ray Winstone as a reluctant robber, Ben Kingsley a psychopathic bully and Ian McShane a charismatic kingpin. For their new movie, directed by Malcolm Venville, they've come up with a much less interesting geezer drama. It talks the talk - in fact, it talks and talks and talks the talk. But the walk isn't happening.
Winstone is a hardman who freaks out when his wife (Joanne Whalley) leaves him for a younger man, and soon his sinister, violent associates - McShane, Tom Wilkinson, John Hurt and Stephen Dillane - assemble in a seedy east London club, and urge on Ray some therapeutic violence against his wife's lover.
In their script for Sexy Beast, screenwriters Louis Mellis and David Scinto gave us a Brit-crime classic, and created career-gold parts for Ray Winstone as a reluctant robber, Ben Kingsley a psychopathic bully and Ian McShane a charismatic kingpin. For their new movie, directed by Malcolm Venville, they've come up with a much less interesting geezer drama. It talks the talk - in fact, it talks and talks and talks the talk. But the walk isn't happening.
Winstone is a hardman who freaks out when his wife (Joanne Whalley) leaves him for a younger man, and soon his sinister, violent associates - McShane, Tom Wilkinson, John Hurt and Stephen Dillane - assemble in a seedy east London club, and urge on Ray some therapeutic violence against his wife's lover.
- 1/14/2010
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
This Friday, January 15, sees the arrival in cinemas of British gangster film 44 Inch Chest, a little earlier than the release dates listed at various databases online.
The Momentum Pictures film stars Ray Winstone, Joanne Whalley, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson and Stephen Dillane.
It's described as "a powerful and explosive drama of retribution" and is the feature film debut of renowned photographer and commercial director Malcolm Venville.
In the story, Colin Diamond (Winstone) is in agony, shattered by the bombshell of his wife's (Whalley) infidelity with a young French waiter.
His motley crew of friends - Old Man Peanut (Hurt), Meredith (McShane), Archie (Wilkinson), and Mal (Dillane) - kidnap Loverboy (Melvil Poupaud) and assemble a kangaroo court so that Colin can restore his manhood with revenge.
According to the official synopsis: "A very bumpy night ensues for Loverboy whose life is at stake as Colin wrestles with heartbreak, anger,...
The Momentum Pictures film stars Ray Winstone, Joanne Whalley, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson and Stephen Dillane.
It's described as "a powerful and explosive drama of retribution" and is the feature film debut of renowned photographer and commercial director Malcolm Venville.
In the story, Colin Diamond (Winstone) is in agony, shattered by the bombshell of his wife's (Whalley) infidelity with a young French waiter.
His motley crew of friends - Old Man Peanut (Hurt), Meredith (McShane), Archie (Wilkinson), and Mal (Dillane) - kidnap Loverboy (Melvil Poupaud) and assemble a kangaroo court so that Colin can restore his manhood with revenge.
According to the official synopsis: "A very bumpy night ensues for Loverboy whose life is at stake as Colin wrestles with heartbreak, anger,...
- 1/13/2010
- by David Bentley
- The Geek Files
Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Ian McShane, Tom Wilkinson and Stephen Dillane in a cockney hard man dialogue driven love story set almost entirely in one room. Could you want any more from a movie? Some people definitely will and probably won’t like this film, but I adored what 44 Inch Chest offered and feel it’s going to be misunderstood when it’s being compared to Sexy Beast so much. The only similarity is Ray Winstone, Ian McShane and some swearing…..A lot of swearing.
The intriguingly titled 44 Inch Chest smashed me in the face from all sides as the stunning cast took me on a dodgem car ride of emotions from start to finish that left me in complete awe of what I saw. From the writers of Sexy Beast, Louis Mellis & David Scinto, and debut director Malcolm Menville, I was thinking 44″ was going to be a London gangster...
The intriguingly titled 44 Inch Chest smashed me in the face from all sides as the stunning cast took me on a dodgem car ride of emotions from start to finish that left me in complete awe of what I saw. From the writers of Sexy Beast, Louis Mellis & David Scinto, and debut director Malcolm Menville, I was thinking 44″ was going to be a London gangster...
- 1/13/2010
- by Gary Phillips
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Photo Gallery has been updated with a new photo gallery for the “44 Inch Chest”.
Provocative, outrageously profane and surprisingly tender amidst an explosion of unbridled testosterone, 44Inch Chest explores the masculine ego at breaking point, testing whether fear is stronger than love. Colin (Ray Winstone) is in agony, shattered by his wife’s (Joanne Whalley) infidelity. However, he has friends who do more than stand by – they kidnap the wife’s French lover and hold him prisoner so that Colin can restore his manhood with revenge. A kangaroo court takes place and as the situation escalates Loverboy’s life hangs in the balance as Colin wrestles with revenge, remorse, grief and self pity, all the while egged on by his motley crew of friends who just want him to get on with it so they can get down the pub.
Potent, provocative and outrageously profane, this visceral exploration of...
Provocative, outrageously profane and surprisingly tender amidst an explosion of unbridled testosterone, 44Inch Chest explores the masculine ego at breaking point, testing whether fear is stronger than love. Colin (Ray Winstone) is in agony, shattered by his wife’s (Joanne Whalley) infidelity. However, he has friends who do more than stand by – they kidnap the wife’s French lover and hold him prisoner so that Colin can restore his manhood with revenge. A kangaroo court takes place and as the situation escalates Loverboy’s life hangs in the balance as Colin wrestles with revenge, remorse, grief and self pity, all the while egged on by his motley crew of friends who just want him to get on with it so they can get down the pub.
Potent, provocative and outrageously profane, this visceral exploration of...
- 1/12/2010
- by Allan Ford
- Filmofilia
If you were entertained by the way George and Martha trashed Nick and Honey in Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf," or even better if you were turned on to the revenge exacted by Hayley Stark against would-be rapist Jeff Kohlver in David Slade's "Hard Candy," then this is the picture for you.
Image Entertainment
Grade: C
Directed by: Malcolm Venville
Written By: Louis Mellis, David Scinto
Cast: Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane, Joanne Whalley, Melvil Poupaud, Steven Berkoff
Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 1/6/10
Opens: January 29, 2010
No way is "44 Inch Chest," a stagy work written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto, as literate as the Albee play which was adapted into a similarly stagy movie by Mike Nichols. In fact despite the claim in the production notes that this new film is Shakespearean, this exhibition of elemental machismo is not only claustrophobic, but...
Image Entertainment
Grade: C
Directed by: Malcolm Venville
Written By: Louis Mellis, David Scinto
Cast: Ray Winstone, Ian McShane, John Hurt, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Dillane, Joanne Whalley, Melvil Poupaud, Steven Berkoff
Screened at: Review 1, NYC, 1/6/10
Opens: January 29, 2010
No way is "44 Inch Chest," a stagy work written by Louis Mellis and David Scinto, as literate as the Albee play which was adapted into a similarly stagy movie by Mike Nichols. In fact despite the claim in the production notes that this new film is Shakespearean, this exhibition of elemental machismo is not only claustrophobic, but...
- 1/8/2010
- Arizona Reporter
After such success with this last year, today comes the first in a multi-chapter look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2010.
Each 'Volume' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of around 25-30 films, and at present it's looking to run around nine volumes in length.
Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first official weekend of releases on January 8th.
13
Opens: 2010
Cast: Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent
Director: Géla Babluani
Summary: A remake of 2005 French thriller "13 (Tzameti)". A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men.
Analysis: Remakes are very common, the same director remaking his own film in English is rarer but still not unheard of ("Funny Games," "Bangkok Dangerous," "The...
Each 'Volume' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of around 25-30 films, and at present it's looking to run around nine volumes in length.
Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first official weekend of releases on January 8th.
13
Opens: 2010
Cast: Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent
Director: Géla Babluani
Summary: A remake of 2005 French thriller "13 (Tzameti)". A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men.
Analysis: Remakes are very common, the same director remaking his own film in English is rarer but still not unheard of ("Funny Games," "Bangkok Dangerous," "The...
- 12/15/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
After such success with this last year, today comes the first in a multi-chapter look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2010.
Each 'Volume' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of around 25-30 films, and at present it's looking to run around nine volumes in length.
Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first official weekend of releases on January 8th.
13
Opens: 2010
Cast: Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent
Director: Géla Babluani
Summary: A remake of 2005 French thriller "13 (Tzameti)". A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men.
Analysis: Remakes are very common, the same director remaking his own film in English is rarer but still not unheard of ("Funny Games," "Bangkok Dangerous," "The...
Each 'Volume' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of around 25-30 films, and at present it's looking to run around nine volumes in length.
Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first official weekend of releases on January 8th.
13
Opens: 2010
Cast: Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent
Director: Géla Babluani
Summary: A remake of 2005 French thriller "13 (Tzameti)". A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men.
Analysis: Remakes are very common, the same director remaking his own film in English is rarer but still not unheard of ("Funny Games," "Bangkok Dangerous," "The...
- 12/15/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
After such success with this last year, today comes the first in a multi-chapter look at the various cinematic releases hitting the U.S. in 2010.
Each 'Volume' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of around 25-30 films, and at present it's looking to run around nine volumes in length.
Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first official weekend of releases on January 8th.
13
Opens: 2010
Cast: Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent
Director: Géla Babluani
Summary: A remake of 2005 French thriller "13 (Tzameti)". A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men.
Analysis: Remakes are very common, the same director remaking his own film in English is rarer but still not unheard of ("Funny Games," "Bangkok Dangerous," "The...
Each 'Volume' contains brief descriptions and editorial opinion/analysis of around 25-30 films, and at present it's looking to run around nine volumes in length.
Expect the remaining ones to go up between now and the first official weekend of releases on January 8th.
13
Opens: 2010
Cast: Jason Statham, Alexander Skarsgard, Mickey Rourke, Ray Winstone, 50 Cent
Director: Géla Babluani
Summary: A remake of 2005 French thriller "13 (Tzameti)". A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men.
Analysis: Remakes are very common, the same director remaking his own film in English is rarer but still not unheard of ("Funny Games," "Bangkok Dangerous," "The...
- 12/15/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
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