Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Daniel Craig in Layer Cake

When I saw the DVD of Layer Cake, it didn’t really entice me except for the fact that I like Daniel Craig’s movies. The movie is an adaptation of J.J. Connolly’s novel, Layer Cake. So, yes, I took it with very little interest or anticipation because drug industry related movies don’t really interest me.

The movie is all about the criminal underclass of Britain with interesting insights into how its underworld drug industry works. Daniel Craig is the main protagonist of Layer Cake, and quite convincing as a smooth drug runner who plans to retire early from the hazardous profession. However, his plans are thwarted from all corners. He has to find a way to get a cache of ecstasy pills (worth over 3 million dollars!!) stolen by a low-life gangster gangster called Duke (Foreman) whose nephew Sidney dates the femme fatale Tammy, (starring Sienna Miller) who in turn catches Craig’s attention and love interest. Duke had stolen the tablets from one of Serbia’s most dangerous drug dealers, Dragan, who wants to get those pills back at any cost and believes that Craig has the cache from Duke.

To make the plot more complicated, Craig’s boss Jimmy Price (starring Kenneth Cranham) has two final missions to complete. Price wants him to find the runaway junkie daughter of his old pal and kingpin Eddie Temple (starring Michael Gambon) and deliver the girl safely to him. Then, Price wants Craig to buy the pills from Duke at any cost, without creating a mess.

There are many characters and twists to the plot but this is an out-and-out Daniel Craig movie. In every sequence, Craig’s performance seems flawless, right down to the scene where he realizes that he’s been duped twice, first by Jimmy Price and second, by Eddie Temple.

I liked the movie, particularly the end, where Daniel Craig fights all odds to become the king of the kingpin and yet is shot to death at his moment of his glory, not by another mafia don or the powerful enemies he’s made, but Sidney, the guy whose girl friend he had taken for himself.

8 comments:

SG said...

A dandy little brangster movie. It was professional and well done.

R. Ramesh said...

omg u told about the story end also...hehe..the suspense is gone buddy...hahah but thanks for sharing...i like craig...

subu said...

OH! its a variant of Ravan- a story of fatal attraction.
I don't watch (m)any English movies/thrillers.
You have made a short but nice narration.

Mridula said...

Sounds like a good one to pass time.

Sanand said...

@SG - Yes, true.

@RRamesh - Didn't realize that till you pointed it out! Will be more careful next time:) I too like Craig's movies.

@Subu - thanks!

@Mridula - Yes, only thing is its not the kind of move one can watch with kids around. There is so much violence and slang.

R. Ramesh said...

shukriya ji:)

Felicity Grace Terry said...

Not a book or movie I have heard of, thanks for the recommkendation.

Sanand said...

@Petty - It's a violent movie so I'd reckon that it didn't get very popular.