Densely layered just like a layer cake, this new Daniel Craig film has so many twists and turns, with extraneous characters appearing and then disappearing, and a narrative that hurriedly switches backwards and forwards in time, that most viewers will probably be left absolutely giddy from the experience.
Admittedly, Layer Cake won't be everyone's cup of tea. The serpentine plot is often hard to follow, but the slick, pulsating production design combined with the raw and often brutal look at the shady underworld of drug dealing, more than makes up for the occasionally muddled narrative.
Layer Cake is all about the evolution of a businessman into a gangster, assassin, and double-crosser - a descent that comes as a surprise only to him. The sexy Daniel Craig is perfectly cast as a confident, cock-sure ecstasy dealer, who in an effort to apply solid business principles, treats his trade and as some kind of legitimate commercial practice.
As the film opens, Craig is explaining his philosophy in a voice over narrative - "you keep a low profile, work with people you know, and don't get greedy." He also announces his attention to retire from the trade, having made enough money from the sale of cocaine and other illegal substances to live comfortably for the rest of his life.
But just as he's visiting his bent accountant to have the profits of his last sale transferred into an anonymous bank account, his boss, Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham), gives him one last assignment. A buyer needs to be found for a huge consignment of Ecstasy pills that have been stolen from a tulip farm in Amsterdam.
Jimmy also wants him to track down the drug addicted, runaway daughter of his friend and corrupt business partner, Eddie Temple (Michael Gambon). Of course, both assignments are setups. Everyone wants to get their hands on the stolen pills, particularly the dealer, a loud-mouthed crook known as the Duke (Jamie Foreman), and their rightful owner, a sociopathic Serb called Slavo (Marcel Iures).
Helped by his trusted colleagues, Gene (Colm Meaney) and Morty (George Harris), our anonymous hero must navigate this shady world where no one is as they seem and where everyone is constantly trying to outwit and double-cross each other. There's not much honor among these thieves here, and even those whom our hero thinks are his friends, turn out to be his dreaded enemies.
It's certainly Craig's inimitable talents as an actor that keep this threads of the story hanging together, and he gives his character a bluster and conceit that eventually turns into an awkward shuffle once he realizes he's in over his head. But kudos must also go to first time director Matthew Vaughn, who does a good job keeping this complex film moving forward despite its labyrinthine plot structure.
Most of the action is seen and told through the perspective of Craig's nameless character, and there are numerous quickly edited flashbacks and shifting points of view, which emphasize the non-linear aspect of the story. A surprise ending will probably leave most viewers quite shocked, but perhaps it's best not to think too much how it fits into the rest of the story, as you'll probably find yourself getting confused.
Vaughn also makes the most of the London locales, shooting scenes in posh mansions, crack houses, construction sites along the Canary Warf, picturesque parks along the Thames River, and atop skyscrapers in London's financial district. Viewers who have given up following the story can sit back and enjoy the wonderful views of one of the world's greatest cities. Mike Leonard August 05.
Admittedly, Layer Cake won't be everyone's cup of tea. The serpentine plot is often hard to follow, but the slick, pulsating production design combined with the raw and often brutal look at the shady underworld of drug dealing, more than makes up for the occasionally muddled narrative.
Layer Cake is all about the evolution of a businessman into a gangster, assassin, and double-crosser - a descent that comes as a surprise only to him. The sexy Daniel Craig is perfectly cast as a confident, cock-sure ecstasy dealer, who in an effort to apply solid business principles, treats his trade and as some kind of legitimate commercial practice.
As the film opens, Craig is explaining his philosophy in a voice over narrative - "you keep a low profile, work with people you know, and don't get greedy." He also announces his attention to retire from the trade, having made enough money from the sale of cocaine and other illegal substances to live comfortably for the rest of his life.
But just as he's visiting his bent accountant to have the profits of his last sale transferred into an anonymous bank account, his boss, Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham), gives him one last assignment. A buyer needs to be found for a huge consignment of Ecstasy pills that have been stolen from a tulip farm in Amsterdam.
Jimmy also wants him to track down the drug addicted, runaway daughter of his friend and corrupt business partner, Eddie Temple (Michael Gambon). Of course, both assignments are setups. Everyone wants to get their hands on the stolen pills, particularly the dealer, a loud-mouthed crook known as the Duke (Jamie Foreman), and their rightful owner, a sociopathic Serb called Slavo (Marcel Iures).
Helped by his trusted colleagues, Gene (Colm Meaney) and Morty (George Harris), our anonymous hero must navigate this shady world where no one is as they seem and where everyone is constantly trying to outwit and double-cross each other. There's not much honor among these thieves here, and even those whom our hero thinks are his friends, turn out to be his dreaded enemies.
It's certainly Craig's inimitable talents as an actor that keep this threads of the story hanging together, and he gives his character a bluster and conceit that eventually turns into an awkward shuffle once he realizes he's in over his head. But kudos must also go to first time director Matthew Vaughn, who does a good job keeping this complex film moving forward despite its labyrinthine plot structure.
Most of the action is seen and told through the perspective of Craig's nameless character, and there are numerous quickly edited flashbacks and shifting points of view, which emphasize the non-linear aspect of the story. A surprise ending will probably leave most viewers quite shocked, but perhaps it's best not to think too much how it fits into the rest of the story, as you'll probably find yourself getting confused.
Vaughn also makes the most of the London locales, shooting scenes in posh mansions, crack houses, construction sites along the Canary Warf, picturesque parks along the Thames River, and atop skyscrapers in London's financial district. Viewers who have given up following the story can sit back and enjoy the wonderful views of one of the world's greatest cities. Mike Leonard August 05.