June 18th Movie of the Week

Layer Cake

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Writer: J.J. Connolly

Actors: (High five if you know any of these actors before looking them up, besides D.C.)
Daniel Craig
Tom Hardy
Jamie Foreman
Sally Hawkins
Burn Gorman

Ratings: 7.4/10 on IMDB
81% on Rotten Tomatoes

Trailer: Layer Cake

Plot Summary: On the eve to an early retirement, successful cocaine dealer Mr. X (Daniel Craig) gets his final assignments; retreive his boss' associates lost daughter, and organize the purchase and distribution of 1 million extasy tabs.

4 Word Sum-Up: "James Bond meets drugs"

Opinion: Before we get into this, I want to give a shout out to Lyons for introducing me to this movie. I have a respect for his selections and this didn't falter that. Big ups Ando.

Do you like Snatch? I sure do. In fact, I haven't met someone who doesn't like Snatch. If you don't like Snatch, you're gay. It's a great script with solid acting (realize I'm talking about the movie yet?). While Layer Cake is not on that level, it was developed by the same producers, minus the touch of Guy Ritchie. Regardless of that, it stays true to British form and keeps a good mafia undertone to it.

There are certain things in the movie that I like to point out, per usual. In my plot summary, I didn't give you much to take in. My reason for that is because the movie has twists in it's plot that I don't feel should be divulged. Also, it's Friday, and I don't feel like thinking too hard. Even Kevo needs a day off, because frankly, if I have to watch one more shitty science movie that isn't Bill Nye, I'm going to sell an entire 7th grade class to Nike's Shoemaking division in China for a pair of Jordans.

Daniel Craig's character, XXXX, is not his real name because his character's name is never mentioned. Why, you ask? I have no idea. BUT, if I had to guess, I would say its to give you a feel for how his character likes to live; underground and unknown. For this reason you will realize something during Layer Cake; this is the part that sealed him the James Bond role. If I were to watch this movie and continue a marathon by putting in Casino Royale right after, it would almost seem like a sequel, with James Bond ridding his old drug dealing ways.

What I disliked: To be honest, there isn't too much that I didn't enjoy about this movie. So, I decided to look on Rotten Tomatoes to see what people had to say negatively about this movie.

"The film is lamentably short of narrative coherence" - Peter Howell (Toronto Star)

What the FUCK does that mean? Hey Peter, you write for the Toronto Star, quit trying to act like a respectable critic and just review it in english you stupid Canuck. Here's my review of your review...

"Peter Howell's review is chock full of unintentional douchebaggery, while quite investigatory, falls shorts of being true to form and comes out more like a steamy pile of fecal waste".

But looking past this skinny wiener Peter Howell, there was only one real issue I could come up with that really isn't an issue anyways, but I wouldn't be right if I didn't say it. It's no Snatch. Ya, maybe it doesn't need to be, but when very few movies come out of the land of snaggled teeth, it needs to be stated. It only brought in ~2.5 million in box office, which while great for this reviewers underground feel, it proves it didn't have people flocking to go see it. Maybe it's just one of those movies that gains its prominence out of theatres like Boondock Saints.

There ya go. What didn't I like? Douchebags who write reviews that make no sense on a movie that deserves better. Also, the fact it is a small time movie that unfortunately didn't do well in theaters.

What I liked: I can say a lot of good things about this movie. For a couple quick things that don't need explaining would be; the casting, D.C.'s acting, the story, etc. However, those are things that should be implied by now. Here are a few things you might also like.

Soundtrack: If you are a big fan of music, I will say that the soundtrack was highly enjoyable for me. It had a great mix of different British artists such as the main song by The Cult "She Sells Sanctuary". Everytime I hear that song, it gets me jones'n for this movie.

Sienna Miller: Even though she's in this movie briefly, she's sexy. It was unfortunate we never get to see her naked, because I'm sure Peter Howell would have given this movie a much better review.

You don't need subtitles: If you have ever seen Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, you will like that you can actually understand what's being said without needing subtitles.

How it did so much with so little: This is a general statement that adds everything good this movie did, for the little it had. For example:

• There were no huge explosions that a Jerry Buckheimer movie needs
• No crazy CGI effects that J.J. Abrams needs to make Star Trek appealing to people who don't play Dungeons and Dragons in their parents basement.
• No expensive list of actors that a crappy script needs to bring in money.

No, this movie didn't need anything special to make it great. That's what might be the best part about it. You appreciate what it didn't have and what it made it into; a solid movie.

Favorite Scene: It's a shame the scene I want to show isn't working on youtube, but it would have been the scene with the song "She Sells Sanctuary" in it. It's a driving scene that gets the movie off to a great pace (no pun intended), and gets you excited for what the movie is all about.

Interesting Facts:

• A layered cake is actually eaten during the movie (but it's not what the movies about)


• During the scene in which Gene gives XXXX a handgun, director Matthew Vaughn says on the DVD commentary that XXXX "wants to be James Bond." Daniel Craig (XXXX) was announced as the successor to Pierce Brosnan in the role of James Bond almost exactly one year after this film's original release.


• Guy Ritchie was in place to direct the movie, but had to drop out due to commitments

Final Comments: I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. Like I stated earlier, I had no real issues with it that would keep it from getting a good review.

4/5 Kevo's - Throw this movie on the top of your Netflix account if there isn't anything of substance prior to it. Ya I didn't give it a 5, but those are only reserved for movies that revolutionize cinema in some way. For underground movies, this is superb. If you find that you don't like it, I will write a review on any movie you want and let you rate it.

Line I'm going to end it on...

"I'm not a gangster, just a businessman. And my commodity happens to be cocaine."
- XXXX