The feeling of being trapped when wanting to escape from a dangerous world is what the film Layer Cake explores, which is brought to life thanks to the penetrating acting talent of Daniel Craig.
Layer Cake paints the picture of a good-willed cocaine dealer who wants to leave his life of crime, but like the crime code declares: once you’re in, there’s no getting out.
The ruggedness of the British crime world depicted in Layer Cake matches well with Daniel Craig’s rugged, yet regal face. That oxymoron is important because the central meaning of the film is that Daniel Craig’s nameless drug dealer is a piece of elegance amidst a world of sloppy violence.
Craig plays his drug dealer character as a tortured soul. When his drug dealer is ordered to execute a man, Craig does the deed, but it has insomnia-inducing effects on him. It’s his conscience that’s in the way.
The fact that Craig’s drug dealer does not belong in the crime world is pointed out countless times throughout the movie. One of the instances is when crime boss Eddie Temple (played by Michael Gambon) tells Craig that he is a “bright young man” with “potential.” That bright potential can be seen immediately in Craig’s wide ice-blue eyes. Another instance of Craig’s diamond-amongst-slime status is the fact that Craig’s only act of violence in Layer Cake is reluctantly killing a man with a silenced gun.
The drug dealer that Craig portrays is a man who has gotten involved with the wrong crowd, which is the theme of so many movies about good-willed heroes. Craig reaches out to touch the world he longs to be apart of when he meets a club girl named Tammy (played by Sienna Miller). Craig and Tammy have a genuine attraction to each other. Unfortunately, Craig’s foreplay with Tammy is interrupted by the endless demands of Craig’s profession.
Unlike a film like Kill Bill, which has scenes that are not sequenced chronologically, Layer Cake tells a coherent story from beginning to end. There are plot points that are shown on camera, but not referenced until thirty minutes later. But the point is the storyline is not over the audience’s heads. The film’s plot points are piled smoothly on top of each other like an intricate, yet simply delicious “layered cake.”
The cinematography of Layer Cake is as rugged and elegant as Daniel Craig’s character. The film’s juxtaposition of camera frames speaks its own language that is as expressive as the dialogue. There’s an intense close-up of Craig’s blue eyes that penetrates through the screen. The viewer can almost see through to Craig’s soul. It is appropriate to say that the film’s visuals are a lesson in rugged sleekness.
The plight of Daniel Craig’s drug dealer seems to be headed towards happiness, but the viewer gets the feeling that the old crime code of being in and never getting out will chain Craig forever. It seems that what Layer Cake is conveying is that Craig’s drug dealer will find happiness only in death.
The first two things that intrigued me about this review were that Daniel Craig is the main actor and that I have not seen this particular film yet. I was a bit confused but also interested when you used the term “good willed” to describe a cocaine dealer. After thinking about that for a bit though, I decided that if I saw the movie I would probably understand that description better, and I might even agree with you.
ReplyDeleteI like that you go into a lot of detail when discussing Craig’s character. From your description I feel that I can really get of a sense of Craig’s character and going off of the films that I’ve seen Daniel Craig in, I can picture him doing an excellent job.
I’m really glad that you chose to analyze the film’s title, and I think that comparing the film’s sequence and plot points to the title is very engrossing. Right before I got to this paragraph I was contemplating what the title “Layer Cake” meant and if you were going to address the meaning and coincidentally, you did just that!
Another strong point in your review is your description of Craig’s eyes. In my opinion, the way an actor or actress uses his or her eyes can be very powerful in a film and the fact that you mention Craig’s eyes more than once makes me think that he probably did an effective job of using his eyes to create a believable performance.
While I think it’s good that you mention other pieces of the film, such as the cinematography, I think that if you included a bit more plot synopsis the review would have been even more effective. From what you described, I was very interested in “Layer Cake”, and if I knew just a few more details about the story line I think I would have been even more interested in seeing it.
One of the best parts about your review is the last paragraph, the last sentence in particular. That sentence could even be a springboard to comment on the lives of drug dealers and their happiness, or lack thereof. I like that you don’t give the whole story away (because who wants to read a review of a film they haven’t seen if it gives away the ending?!), but at the same time I could kind of get a sense that the film does not have a “happily ever after” sort of end to it. Overall I thought this was a strong review and I will definitely check out this movie!