We conclude British gangster month with Layer Cake, another debut for a
promising director, Matthew Vaughn. He’s made a name for himself for his style,
kinetic action choreography that’s a visual marvel usually paired with an
excellent script and intriguing characters in films like Kick-Ass, X-Men: First Class,
and Kingsmen: The Secret Service. He
had produced the previous films of Guy Ritchie giving him experience in the
British crime genre, which combined with his unique flavour and energy make Layer Cake an incredibly underrated gem
of a gangster film.
Based
on the novel by J.J. Connelly who also wrote the screenplay, the film concerns
an unnamed protagonist credited as XXXX (Daniel Craig) an accomplished drug
manufacturer and distributor with plans on an early retirement. He makes a
quiet living off the business, aided by an ex-con enforcer Morty (George
Harris) to handle the dirty work. However the drug lord he works for Jimmy
Price (Kenneth Cranham) gives him an assignment to find the missing daughter of
his acquaintance Eddie Temple (Michael Gambon) who fled rehab and subsequently
was apparently kidnapped. Simultaneously he is tasked with brokering a deal for
a million ecstasy tablets with a small-time gangster known as the Duke (Jamie
Foreman) who stole them from Serbian war criminals in Amsterdam. What’s worse
is they’re hunting down both the Duke and XXXX after his name was given to
their mysterious kingpin Dragan. And from there the plot takes numerous twists
and turns as XXXX works to correct damage done and come out of the mess
unscathed and on top.
The
film’s title comes from the hierarchical system of organized crime, showing off
the different layers and regions it’s operated at. XXXX, Morty, Jimmy, and
Jimmy’s right-hand Gene (Colm Meaney) are clearly at a different level than the
Duke’s consortium (most emphasized in a scene where the two sides are
negotiating). Essentially it’s the class system and it comes down to the
business. Early on XXXX says “I’m not a gangster. I’m a businessman whose
commodity happens to be cocaine.” And we’re reminded of this approach to
criminal activity throughout. It’s a side of the London underworld that I
haven’t seen so far as it applies a degree of class to their work, and it makes
it all the more interesting when they have to take more assertive action. The
story is smart and intricately weaved adding further significance to the title,
as there are more than a few layers of plot developments and character
motivations. In that regard you can see the resemblance to the Ritchie films
and where some of Vaughn’s inspiration came. But where I think this film
exceeds those is in its tone. For as fun as Ritchie’s films were they felt a
little distant. There were eccentric characters like Brad Pitt’s Mickey O’Neal
and the story melding was a little too convenient. That’s hardly a surprise as
those films were half comedies. But this film isn’t, and because it takes its
subject matter more seriously, there’s a greater effect of uneasiness,
unexpectedness, and threat. Especially as you never know where the story is
really going and how the situations will resolve in the end. That, the
consequences that crop up for our main characters, and the detailed depiction
of drug trade in a modern world make the film feel very real.
Daniel
Craig is pretty good as XXXX (they work around using his name very well). He’s
sharp and even a little charismatic. In fact his character here may be more
interesting than his incarnation of James Bond (he certainly has the mystique
factor). And yeah, this film is regarded by many as quintessential to him
having gotten the part of Bond and I believe them. Especially when there are a
couple scenes where though ordinarily gun-avoiding, he practices sneaking
around in a distinctly Bond fashion. Hell he practically auditions for the part
in this film. Colm Meaney as usual is formidable but enjoyable as Gene. Kenneth
Cranham and especially Michael Gambon are terrific as ambiguously rival
gangsters (though I wonder what was up with Gambon’s tan). George Harris an
underrated actor who you’ll remember as the black guy who spoke a couple times
in the Harry Potter series is
fantastic as Morty bringing a grimness and calm to a part that’s also menacing.
The supporting cast consists of Marcel Iures as Dragan’s operative Slavo,
Dexter Fletcher as corrupt cop Cody, Tamer Hassan as Morty’s protégé Terry, and
Jason Flemying (he’s showed up a lot in these!) as 80’s gangster Crazy Larry.
And in addition to Vaughn this film wound up being an early stepping stone for
a number of later stars including Tom Hardy as XXXX’s protégé Clarkie, Sally
Hawkins, Ben Whishaw, and Burn Gorman as the Duke’s girlfriend Slasher, nephew
Sidney, and henchman Gazza respectively, and Sienna Miller was introduced to
the world as Tammy, XXXX’s love interest.
Though
the film isn’t quite as energized as Vaughn’s later films, it’s still very
stylized and invigorating to watch. In particular, the editing is very skilled
with cuts between scenes and actions being flowingly subtle. Some cuts are so
tight that changes of scene look to be done in one shot, and other scenes are
longer pans, intriguing overheads, or incorporate jump cuts hearkening back to
the Ritchie’s films and even Goodfellas.
He also does some interesting things with perspective. There are scenes where
the audience is given the point of view of a dead body or an unidentified
killer. Perhaps the best though and certainly the most memorable scene to me in
the film is a scene where Morty encounters the man whose incompetence got him
ten years in prison, in a café. After some aggressive small talk, Morty starts
beating him up mercilessly and the camera takes on the victim’s point of view. It’s
unusual and shocking, and gives the scene greater impact; one that’s already compellingly
effective being juxtaposed with the clearly in trouble Duke confronting an
unidentified figure, all while Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” plays over both
tension filled scenes. You can see the genesis of Matthew Vaughn’s action style
in these rough sequences.
Layer Cake in its exploration of the
class system of organized crime, eclectic and unexpected story, diverse cast,
and modern relatable worldview while still managing Vaughn’s unique exaggerated
style, is a tremendous British gangster film. I think it’s one of the most
underrated gangster films ever make, working as an action and thriller film
while telling a smart story with some previously unexplored themes. I’d enjoy a
slice of it any day.
I’ve
certainly had a good time looking at British gangster films for the month of September!
I’ve gotten to see some great films that I have enjoyed with some unexpectedly
great performances. The British have a unique kind of crime film, there’s no
way these kind of films would be done in America, and the samples I’ve seen
have generally been fascinating, smart, and entertaining. These films have
given us Guy Ritchie and Matthew Vaughn as directors, exposed us to actors like
Bob Hoskins, Jason Statham, Jason Flemying, Vinnie Jones, Daniel Craig, and
Sienna Miller, and I’m sure will continue to be enjoyed by fans looking for a
film sub-genre that’s unique, original, and eccentric in that wonderful British
way.
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