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November 6, 2008
Layer Cake (2003)
Should I see it?
Yes.


Short Review: Like John McCain, this thing is ugly and unpleasant but can still be very useful if used properly.

Layer Cake

There is much to commend in this film. There is also much to discourage me from recommending it.

Matthew Vaughn (producer of Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch) has created a very effective “guy movie”. This thing is as sexy and as violent as Guy Ritchie’s films but without the overbearing and distracting stylization.

Leading man Daniel Craig provides an career marking performance as XXXX, an intelligent business man/drug trafficker. Craig handles his sharp character with a smartness and class that really makes him shine in the role. Moreover he is supported by the likes of Colm Meaney and Michael Gambon. The acting in this film is top notch even when the accents get too thick to understand clearly – don’t these guys have the common decency to speak American?

On the vein of acting, this film holds the record for best punch. There is a moment where Colm Meany decks Daniel Craig and I swear he made contact. The execution of a realistic stage punch is a hard thing to pull off effectively even on film. There are so many details involved in the process that isn’t obvious to the audience. From the trust between actors, to proper camera angles, blocking, timing and a dozen other stupid things that can go wrong, it is just a hard piece of business to pull off. I say watch the film for this blow, it’s a gem.

The flip side of this film is its amorality. I know I harp on this a great deal, but it needs to be harped about. Crime stories are fine but crime stories without a proper moral at its closing is just condoning the evil shown. Yeah, usually things don’t end well for those doing wrong but in many cases (as is the case with Snatch and other heist films) is that there is no actual morality played out. We are left with meaningless karma retribution which is actually turned into a strange nihilistic charge. There is no redemption in films such as this and the audience member is the worse for it. Crime stories without a clear moral line drawn are no different than consuming stupid slasher movies. You’re just trading one sin for another. To live vicariously through Jason chopping up girls and you live vicariously through XXXX pulling off his drug deals. Both are murderous behaviors and neither are judged by their producers.

That said, you should really see how Meany belts Craig. Man, what a shot!

Films such as this one can be useful however. This film presents horrible characters doing horrible things but in a digestible form and with the exception of a few scenes, without violence. Christian and/or conservative filmmakers can look to this film for how to present wrongdoing in a realistic fashion. In many cases Christian filmmakers show criminals as cartoons to keep from dealing with how actual criminals behave. They do this to keep their audiences comfortable. I believe they should deal with people as they are made and show them for what they are.


Related Reviews:
Daniel Craig movies
Infamous (2006)
The Golden Compass (2007)


Other Critic's Reviews:
PopMatters
eFilmCritics

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posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 9:00 AM




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