Layer Cake

Layer Cake (2004)

Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Starring: Daniel Craig

Based on a book of the same name. 
Streaming on Netflix. 

I could sense a lot of Guy Ritchie's style in the film, and I wasn't surprised to know that the director of this film, produced Guy Ritchie's first two films. Although this film is high on drama than on style. The opening felt like it's going to be high on style, but later I realized that the tone of the film is a bit gritty - rightfully so, it's a gangster film, so why not? And the violence, "because it's so much fun Jan"! I liked this film being in the drama space because it allows for us to see the characters as real people - which is exactly what happens in a show like Breaking Bad. Whereas, when it's extremely high on style, it's a little tricky to crack the space where we track with the characters too - which probably a master like Scorsese can pull off with a film like Goodfellas. But otherwise, if the film needs us to track with the emotional graph of the characters, then it's better to keep it not so high on style. Although I wish the film used a little more voice over than what it has currently. 

I like how the characters in this film are constantly in trouble. Usually, we see gangsters flicking cigarettes, walking in shades, wearing cool coats - but in this film though they do all of that, the film makes it a point to make us feel the discomfort and makes us realize the severity of living a life like that. The conflicts in the film are the usual ones we see in gangster films - finding out a snitch in the gang, killing them, figuring out differences within the gang, killing the big and guy and becoming the next big guy, trying to flee the cops, etc. The ending is also a classic gangster film ending - I liked how he looks back, says something classy and slick, but he never gets to turn back. Though I saw it coming, it's a smooth way of ending a gangster film without a bleak worldview. So I didn't really mind it.