44 Inch Chest: The Measure of Revenge

From the creative minds of Louis Mellis and David Scinto, the pair of writers that gave us Sexy Beast back in 2000, (has it been 10 years!?) comes a new tale in the Brit gangster genre.

The return of Ray Winstone and Ian McShane together wreaks of "sequel", but from the early reviews it appears that perhaps the roles were written with the two of them in mind, rather than an out-and-out continuation in the life of Gal Dove.

The ensemble cast of British tough guys includes veterans John Hurt and Tom Wilkinson, as well as Stephen Dillane (perhaps better known for his role as Thomas Jefferson in HBO's John Adams miniseries, and as Santiago's manager in the Goal! films). The storyline revolves around the fact that Winstone's wife (Joanne Whalley) hasn't been too happy in their relationship and has admitted to having an affair. Of course, this does not go over well with the cuckolded hubby. So his buddies decide to to do what any real friends would do - kidnap the rogue in broad daylight and bring him 'gift-wrapped' to somewhere out of the way to allow their friend the privilege of exacting his revenge on the horny lad.

It should also be noted that the music is composed by the esteemed Angelo Badalamenti, the man behind the mood music of many David Lynch productions.

Having it's world premiere at the Sydney Film Festival in Australia last October, as well as the London Film Festival, it is currently gearing up for it's release in the UK in January. A North American release should be forthcoming.

Since Sexy Beast is one of my fave films, I'm highly anticipating it's screening in my neighbourhood. It's page at imdb.com, as of this writing, has only two reviews: one from someone who attended the Sydney screening who felt it didn't live up to his expectations (Reservoir Dogs meets Last Orders), and the other raved about it, comparing it to a Harold Pinter play. Of course, I shall hold my own judgment until I have personally seen it.

I only hope that the film lives up to the hype. If anyone out there does see it in the UK, post a comment. In the meantime, we have the trailer to enjoy.