Movie 2007.05.30 - Layer Cake

Layer Cake was given harsh reviews by the critics when it first came out. Based on the plot and my penchant for British gangster thrillers, I still think it's worth a viewing. I was not disappointed. The plot is as confusing as Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, but the mood is more serious, darker.

Daniel Craig plays XXXX, an anonymous young cocaine dealer making some big bucks for Jimmy Price the drug lord. Smart guy that he is, he figures that with all the money he has made, it's time to pull out and retire. This being the underworld, word got out, so Jimmy set him up for a fall. Some wannabe gangster called Duke stole a big stash of E's from some Serbian mercenary group in Amsterdam and pointed the finger at Craig. Not happy, the Serbs hire a hitman called Dragan to take Craig out. Unknown to all, Jimmy is also a high-level police informer. Hi snitches on Craig, and now the coppers are after him, too. Jimmy's business associate Eddie Temple is also interested in Craig because everyone thought he has the pills, and Eddie wants to buy them on the cheap, where in reality the pills are with Sidney, Duke's nephew, who has gone into hiding.

Craig hatches this incredible plan, which brings about a win-win-win conclusion to the movie. He manages to track down Sidney, and helps them escape from the raiding "cops." Dragan witnesses the cops confiscate the pills, so he (and the Serbs) are happy to let Craig off with his peace offering of the Duke's head. Meanwhile, Craig and the "cops" deliver the pills to Eddie, and got paid only half the agreed amount. Eddie gives them a sobering lecture on how things work around here, and advises them to get smarter next time. Craig somehow expected this, so even before Eddie and his gang could get far, they were ambushed by a rival gang. Not sure if the rival gang paid the other half of the money to Craig or not.

Anyway, things are turning up roses for Craig. Flush with cash, he's about to walk off into retirement, with Sidney's very beautiful (ex-)girlfriend to boot. Just as Craig was gloating to the camera, we hear a gunshot, Craig droops down to the ground, a nervous Sidney appears with a gun in his hand, mumbles sorry, and runs off. What an ending, huh?