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| LAYER CAKE (2004) | |
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Perception of life is usually in the eye of the beholder, and in Layer Cake it is in the eye of Daniel Craig’s unnamed character who the film refers to as XXXX in the end credits.
Through XXXX’s vision the audience will learn the hard lesson of commerce in the British underworld where on can be on the top one-day, and on the bottom the next.
The title itself plays metaphorically with the different levels of societal classes, and how one strives to reach the top.
Director Matthew Vaughn, who produced Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998) and Snatch (2000), makes his directorial debut with a stylish crime story that follows the footsteps of his friend and director Guy Ritchie.
Yet, it feels more like a British treatment of Goodfellas (1990) that provides an amusingly sharp portrayal of how drugs can complicate the British underworld and society.
A detailed opening accompanied by XXXX’s voice-over delivers a historical and personal perspective on how drugs have changed the socioeconomic tendencies of the underworld. Vaughn also makes it visually clear through clever mise-en-scene and astonishing photography how boundaries between the law and lawless might eventually diffuse itself, due to the enormous sums of profit collected by the illegal drug industry. In addition, XXXX’s clarifies the customers demand for drugs in the eloquently statement, “Give people what they want: good times today, stupid tomorrow.” In essence, XXXX captures society’s lack of patience and the customers’ addictions in the minute statement. Thus, XXXX claims that he is a professional and discreet businessman providing this need for those who are needy while accumulating sufficient wealth to retire. Crime does pay, or at least that is the idea, that audience will receive in the opening of Layer Cake, as XXXX shows his plans of retirement. However, retirement will have to wait when Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham), a powerful gangster, requests his help. It is a task out of the ordinary for XXXX who realizes that he has no choice and must push up his retirement date. At the same time, a wannabe gangster named the Duke has acquired an obscene amount of ecstasy pills from an unknown location, which XXXX tries to acquire for Jimmy. If this would not be enough, XXXX falls in love with a stunning blond that any fool would consider a sign of trouble. This and much more begin to blend into an intriguing concoction that never will be predictable, or boring. Layer Cake might have similarities with other gangster films; however, Vaughn generates a refreshing story of gangsters in the British society where the connecting factor between classes is drugs. Much of the success in the film rests within Daniel Craig’s sophisticated character that possess several fascinating traits. In addition, his frequent and small voice-overs that illustrate his thoughts deliver an additional attention-grabbing aspect to the story. Layer Cake pretty much focuses on XXXX, and his perspective on life and his status. There are several excellent actors such as Colm Meaney, George Harris, Kenneth Cranham, and Michael Gambon that helps contrast XXXX’s persona, which also augments the audience’s fascination with the film. All of the cinematic facets are linked under Vaugn’s terrific debut, as a director that delivers a phenomenal action thriller that will keep the audience smiling until the end. |
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| Matthew Vaughn | |
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UK |
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| REVIEWED | |
| BY KIM ANEHALL – 8/29/2005 | |
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The Internet Movie Database. |
