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 ollowing
the success of Guy Ritchie's "Lock,
Stock and two Smoking Barrels" in 1998, the British film industry found
itself overrun with tales of London gangsters, most of which were sadly made
with little thought to creativity, instead relying on flashy designer violence
and supposedly cheeky charm to justify their existence. Into this stale state of
affairs comes "Layer Cake", a film about a London drug dealer who
attempts to extricate himself from the criminal underworld. The film, not helped
by such an overly familiar premise, is made to seem all the more incestuous by
the fact that it is directed by Mathew Vaughn, who has previously worked as
producer on all of Guy Ritchie's crime capers.
Given such unfavourable omens, it is an extremely
pleasant surprise to find that "Layer Cake" is an excellent
film, far superior to the vast majority of its peers, and one of the
best British efforts of the last few years. Combining an engaging and
intricate plot and well-written characters, slick visuals and a liberal
dose of realistic brutality, the film stands as an expertly executed
thriller which deserves recognition beyond the confines of its
overpopulated genre.
Adapted from his own novel by J.J Connolly,
"Layer Cake" follows an unnamed cocaine dealer (played by
Daniel Craig, who until now has been a bit player in films such as
"Enduring Love" and "Road
to Perdition") planning an early retirement from a life of
crime. Far from being a typical thug, Craig's character sees himself as
a businessman, living an ordered, modest life and resolutely avoiding
violence. Unfortunately, his best efforts to move on are thwarted and he
finds himself dragged into a murderous conspiracy involving the theft of
a huge shipment of ecstasy pills, as well as having thrust upon him a
mysterious assignment involving the missing daughter of a high profile
businessman (veteran actor Michael Gambon).
Although the above does indeed sound like a fairly
typical plot for the genre, "Layer Cake" benefits from a raw,
nihilistic approach to the criminal underworld. Instead of the
stereotypical and loyal well-dressed gangsters who are forced into acts
of violence by cruel fate, the film is populated by a disparate bunch of
cold, calculating manipulators whose allegiance is distinctly
negotiable. All of the main characters are given a pleasing amount of
depth and their own motivations, which means that the shaky alliances
formed during the film are all the more believable and compelling.
Crucially, the central protagonist is well fleshed
out, with a compelling development arc, and so the viewer genuinely
comes to care what happens to him. This makes a huge change from the
usually frivolous nature of gangster films, whose characters often only
exist for the purpose of violent set pieces or pointless tracts about
faux-brotherhood. The plot itself is cunningly crafted, and manages to
suck the viewer into its shady world right from the start, with a
fantastic eye for the smaller details of the criminal life that adds an
air of authenticity. As the film progresses, there are betrayals and
back stabbings galore, meaning that the narrative is at times somewhat
convoluted, though cleverly so, and in a way which makes the film, if
not exactly unpredictable, at least highly satisfying.
Vaughn
proves to be an excellent director, managing to combine Ritchie's
preferred use of gimmicky visuals and anecdotal storytelling with a more
traditional cinematic approach. The result is a film which is slick and
glossy, yet decidedly edgy and hardboiled in a way that brings the story
and characters to life in a convincing and entertaining fashion. Vaughn
directs with a mature assurance rarely seen in debut films, and tells
the story confidently, utilising some highly original techniques without
letting them drown the film in the music video stylings which have sadly
become all too common in recent years. One scene in particular,
involving the vicious beating of a disloyal ex-con, is breathtakingly
cinematic, switching between different perspectives to perfectly
accentuate its brutality.
The pace of "Layer Cake" is kept fast and
lean, and though there are only a handful of action set pieces, Vaughn
manipulates them for maximum adrenaline and impact, giving them a
genuinely visceral feel and providing a real sense of danger and threat
throughout the film. Along with the twisting plot and excellent,
writing, it is this vicious, human edge which makes "Layer
Cake" such enjoyable and compulsive viewing, and firmly marks
Vaughn as a talent to watch.
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