He’s known today as playing the iconic James Bond, and now credited with having been in the single highest grossing Bond film of all time. He’s made other appearances in between, but Daniel Craig has immortalized himself as Bond just as those who came before him. Before Bond, Craig wasn’t necessarily an unknown but like all that were cast before him, he was minimally credentialed as far as his global reputation was concerned. Before he put on the tuxedo and drank the martini, Craig was afforded his shot to play the famed secret agent after having starred in Layer Cake.
Layer Cake, based on the hit novel, is about drug dealer XXXX. Played by Craig, XXXX is a business man whose product is drugs, specifically that of cocaine.
Layer Cake, based on the hit novel, is about drug dealer XXXX. Played by Craig, XXXX is a business man whose product is drugs, specifically that of cocaine. His plan is to sell whilst keeping a low profile until at which point he’s made enough money to start a legitimate business and live a clean legal life. Before he can do so, he’s tasked with finding the daughter of his supplier’s business associate. Reluctantly accepting this task, things begin to take a turn for the worst as he learns that he’s a pawn in a much bigger game than dealing drugs. What began as only business soon becomes about survival for the seasoned drug dealer.
While director Matthew Vaughn has now gone onto directing larger Hollywood pictures such as Kingsman, X-Men First Class, and the surprise hit Kick-Ass, everything started with Layer Cake as his first and arguably still his best film to date. He showcases the United Kingdom with sleek shots of the country-side as well as the more local areas of England. The editing is sharp and creative, and the film isn’t structured so as to spoon feed the audience though it also isn’t so complicated that it needs to be seen twice to comprehend it. The performances, especially on the part of Craig, are all worthy of praise. Craig’s development from the early stages of the movie to the end show his character has ingenuity and clever instincts to adapt to ever changing situations. George Harris is oddly comical as Morty, portraying XXXX’s true bridge to the criminal world. Colm Meany as Gene is just fun to watch on this point, playing a perfect consigliere between Craig’s character and his supplier Jimmy Price played by Kenneth Cranham. Michael Gambon, though limited in screen time, is one of the more charismatic characters in that of Eddie Temple. Gambon plays up the true ‘boss of bosses’ persona, pulling all the strings and calling all of the shots.
To be honest, there’s so much about this film to be appreciated that it would take ten columns to properly cover everything. The directing, acting, and writing all make Layer Cake suspenseful, comedic, dramatic, and an overall enjoyable experience for those who like to sit in for the occasional crime film. It’s not currently available for any subscription plan platforms, though this is a movie that might as well be owned anyway.
