"Welcome to the Layer Cake, Son ..."

[saavedra77]

I went to see Layer Cake at the Big Picture with Jackie, Tuesday night: This film marks the directorial debut of Matthew Vaughn, previously known to fans of British cinema as the producer of Guy Ritchie's comic thrillers Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.  Vaughn's own film is something quite different, though: If you liked Martin Scorcese's Goodfellas, and ever wondered what a British take on similar underworld material might be like, Layer Cake is definitely the film for you.

Daniel Craig (who played Connor Rooney in Road to Perdition) stars as an unnamed drugworld middleman who likes to tell himself that he's a "businessman," "not a gangster."  He's young, he's stylin', he's already made his money, and is plotting an early retirement.  Unfortunately, Craig's underworld colleagues have no intention of letting him go.  Craig reminded me of a British Steve McQueen: tough, with icey-cool, watchful blue eyes.  Colm Meaney and George Harris play much rougher characters, veteran mob muscle who have been Craig's collaborators but might ultimately end up planting him in the ground.  Kenneth Cranham and Michael Gambon are perfectly odious as big-time London crimelords.  The dialogue is salted with edgy London patois--Craig's character is "flash" enough to provoke professional jealousy in certain quarters, the plot hinges on a huge shipment of E that gets "nicked" from some highly volatile Balkan types.   And Layer Cake's soundtrack--a mix of dreamy electronica, club music, and '80s Brit-pop--is still reverberating in my ears, particularly Duran Duran's "Ordinary Day."  (It's an impressive movie that can lodge Duran Duran in my head; lesser media have certainly tried ...)

Also, a note to Seattle-area residents: If you haven't been to the Big Picture, you should really check it out.  There's a full bar, gourmet popcorn, swanky lounges, a digital theater, and tickets are $5 on Mondays and Tuesdays if there's two of you.  I've now gotten in the habit of having an Irish coffee with my gangster movies ...

Comments

[greyaenigma.livejournal.com]

I was meaning to check that movie out, but I haven't managed to successfully see a movie for a few weeks now.

$5 if there's two of you? Solo moviegoers are screwed? I protest!

[verbicide.livejournal.com]

How cool! My friends just went last Saturday and they loved it. I've been meaning to check it out!

Movie sounds interesting, too.