Director: Matthew Vaughn
Rating: ***1/2
Sometimes you have to go beyond the call of duty to get something done. It’s called sacrifice – life’s simplest sutraone has to always remember but when forgotten, he/she is certain to pay the price. Daniel Craig aka xxx ‘because he’s nameless, plays a drug dealer in Michael Connelly’s adapted screenplay ‘Layer Cake’, directed by Matthew Vaughn. The film is a complex yet brilliant story of power, deceit, greed and the life’s simplest sutra.
Daniel plays a drug dealer, one of the silent, smartest ones in the biz who likes to maintain a low profile and concentrate
on work than worrying about petty things. When he realizes he’s had it all, the money, the fame, everything of that sort, he decides to retire and settle down on a plush green country home with wife and kids. However, when the news spreads, big boss Jimmy Price hands down two tough assignments – to search a missing girl, daughter of Jimmy’s pal Edward, a powerful construction business player and sell millions worth Ecstasy pills acquired by some guy called ‘The Duke’ by double crossing a dealer, very bad one, who’s known for having heads cut off of people who’ve cheated him. With almost nobody to trust, Daniel should put all skills to test to put an end to everything and save his own life.
The screenplay is so complex, you’d get lost at some point in the film however thanks to J.J Connolly the film keeps you hooked throughout its running time. There’s tension in the film for the maximum part and its built brilliantly initially, eventually leading to a climax you wouldn’t have anticipated. The film is a gentle reminder of modern day underworld, where there are no rules, ethics or codes but only one thing that matters the most – survival. Yes, staying alive is the most important thing in a business like dealing with drugs. There’s no ‘I want to have family and kids’ moment in this line of work. If you bail, you’re gone forever, dead, chopped into pieces and fed to dogs or cats, may be. That’s one mistake Daniel makes in this film and he pays the price for it. The film’s got almost three climaxes however finally the one is not amongst the three. There’s a twist in the tale, and you’ve got to watch it to know it.
Performance wise, Daniel shines in a role that’s got no name. Ah, that’s the catch and there’s a nice explanation to it
towards the end. Daniel is suave as the drug dealer and does full justice to his role. Tom Hardy as Daniel’s sidekick seems to have been wasted. An actor of such caliber definitely deserves a better role. But, most actors of today started off with petty roles, with hardly any prominence but sooner turned in to superstars. So, I guess it’s understandable.
What also works for the film is its editing by Jon Harris (Snatch, 127 Hours and Kick Ass) – slick and crisp. Especially the scene where Duke’s aid leans over to pick a pill from the table and as the camera zooms out, you see Jimmy taking a lighter off the table. There are several such brilliantly edited scenes. Now, this dude’s been the editor for 127 Hours, so I guess you know what I’m talking about. Direction by Matthew needs no introduction at all. I mean it would’ve had I reviewed this film five years back, but now it just doesn’t need because there’s Star Dust, Kick Ass and X-Men First Class to his credit. Needless to say, Matthew was good as a debutant.
‘Layer Cake’ is a metaphor used to represent the different layers one has to pass through in business before making it to the top. ‘You’re born, you take shit. Get out in the world, you take more shit. Climb a little higher, you take less shit. And one day in the rarefied atmosphere, you’ve forgotten what even shit looks like. Welcome to the Layer Cake, son’.
