The Best Of Ray Winstone

by Helen Earnshaw | 12 September 2012

Ray Winstone is back on the big screen this week as he teams up with Ben Drew in the big screen interpretation of popular TV series The Sweeney.

Winstone takes on the role of Jack Regan in the movie in what promises to be another stand out role for the British actor.

So to celebrate the release of the movie we take a look at some of the best performances from Winstone during his career.

- Sexy Beast

It was back in 2001 that Sexy Beast hit the big screen but it remains one of Winstone's best and most loved roles.

Winstone takes on the role of a former gangster whose retirement in Spain is interrupted when he gets an unwelcome visit from a man from his past.

The movie was directed by Jonathan Glazer and it one of the best gangster movies of the decade.

Glazer directed a stylish, ballsy and violent movie that had a great and tight script paired with some great pacing.

But it is the central performances that really should get most of the credit as both Winstone and Kingsley deliver knock out turns.

Winstone delivered Gal as a criminal with a heart and a man who wanted to leave that life behind - Kingsley on the other hand is one of the most chilling villains in Brit cinema history.

Click here to buy Sexy Beast on DVD

- The Departed

The Departed was an remake of Infernal Affairs and saw Martin Scorsese back in the director's chair.

The movie boasted one of the best ensemble casts of the years as Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Vera Farmiga and Winstone all starred.

While it was a smaller role for Winstone it was a great turn as he played Nicholson's right hand man with real aplomb.

The Departed is a fast paced gangster movie of the highest order as Scorsese and all of his cast are on top form.

The movie went on to win Best Picture at the Oscars while Scorsese finally got his hands on a Best Director Oscar.

Click here to buy The Departed on DVD

- The War Zone

The War Zone was released back in 1999 and marked the directorial debut of actor Tim Roth as he delivered a hard hitting family drama.

The movie saw Winstone take one on the most powerful roles of his career as he played an abusive father.

The War Zone was a movie that really looked at child abuse in the family and it saw Winstone deliver one of the performances of his career.

The movie went on to win named Best New British Feature at the 1999 Edinburgh International Film Festival while it was met well at the SUndance Film Festival when it was screened.

Click here to buy The War Zone on DVD

- The Proposition

In 2005 Winstone tackled the western genre as he teamed up with Guy Pearce and John Hurt while John Hillcoat was in the director's chair.

Winstone took on the role of Capt. Stanley in the movie who is set to Australia to help bring order to the colonies.

The Proposition is one of the best Western movies in recent years as Nick Cave's screenplay is bloody and violent and unforgiving.

There are some fantastic performances in the movie as all of the characters struggle with the way of life that they have chosen.

Click here to buy The Proposition on DVD

- Nil By Mouth

We have already looked at one abuse movie that broke boundaries but Nil By Mouth was another such project that Winstone was involved with.

The movie was directed by actor Gary Oldman and it tackled domestic violence in what was another hard hitting movie.

This time around Winstone played an alcoholic man who regularly beat his pregnant wife - played by Kathy Burke.

Nil By Mouth is a powerful dose of real life as he delivers a movie that it gritty and dark.