Review of Layer Cake (2004) by Andrew R — 23 Jun 2009

Layer Cake is an entertaining, above-average gangster flick driven by Daniel Craig's performance and a solid script. The film is based on the debut novel of British writer JJ Connolly. Like the book, the film is intricately plotted with lots of twists and double-crosses. The ending is both surprising and oddly satisfying.

Craig plays anonymous drug dealer XXXXX, whose real name is never revealed. XXXXX has been in the drug game for a while, saving the profits with the goal of retiring to a life of ease and luxury. The day before he's due to start retirement though, he's summoned by crime boss Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham) to complete two separate, very important jobs: track down the missing daughter of one of Jimmy's old friends and serve as a middle man for a huge shipment of ecstacy as a favor to one of Jimmy's business associates.

Both assignments, however, are double crosses. Jimmy has been XXXXX's boss for a while and learns of XXXXX's impending retirement; he doesn't like the idea one bit. He sees XXXXX as an upstart, a young punk who's not paid near enough dues to consider getting out of the game. And if XXXXX won't continue adding to Jimmy's own revenue stream, Jimmy decides to take him down. Both assignments are traps designed to either a) get XXXXX killed or b) send him to prison.

The interest here lies in watching XXXXX as he maneuvers and slowly uncovers the multiple schemes and obstacles that lie in his path, improvising his way, avoiding death and incarceration at every turn. XXXXX is a kind of cross between a criminal versions of Macgyver (he hates guns) and Michael Corleone. Craig plays him as an every-day joe caught up in circumstances beyond his control--an everyday joe who just happens to be a criminal; Craig's performance is sympathetic enough to make us like the character but sleazy enough so we don't really mind if he doesn't make it to retirement.

There are several memorable quotes sprinkled throughout the script and, combined with the intricate, well-conceived plot twists, the solid performances, and the well-paced direction by Matthew Vaughn, Layer Cake almost--but not quite--attains the status of genre classic. In any case, it's a memorable, involving ride, well worth the viewing time.