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Layer Cake

Benny the Ball

08:07 / 11.03.05

I got this out the other night, having missed it's fleeting cinematic visit. I'll admit, I wasn't expecting much, just the typical SKA (although this wasn't to memory under their banner) saaaf london alright geezer nonsense. I was plesantly surprised on a couple of counts. The acting is very good, Daniel Craig really pulls off a great role here, something which very easily could have slipped into rada cockney, he holds the screen very well. The look of the film is beautiful. For a low budget Brit flick it has a grand feel about it, and looks fantastic. Oh, and the sound is all live, which, to me, makes a major difference to a film (as a sound man, bad ADR can really jar me). It's actually a very good film, which I'd recommend.

Any other opinions?

Grey Area

13:33 / 11.03.05

I watched this when it came to our local independent film theatre, and was plesantly surprised. It feels like a more grown-up Lock Stock that's been about the block a couple of times. About the only thing I would have changed is removing some of the more stilted comedy moments...if memory serves some of them felt as if they had been shoe-horned in.

hachiman

06:00 / 14.03.05

The movie sounds pretty good, from all i've heard. On a more important note though, having seen this movie, do you think Mr. Vaughn has what it take to fill Bryan singer's shoes? According to Superhero- Hype, Matthew Vaughn has been selected to helm X-3. Any thoughts, or am i thread rotting?

Benny the Ball

10:01 / 16.03.05

Wow, really? I heard he was connected with Man From UNKLE film, but X3?

It's hard to say. He seems to have elicited good performances from good actors. The film looked great, but the operator is a very able man, and the DOP is very good, so give them all the benefit of the doubt and say that Mr Vaughan communicated his ideas well and let them do their job for the look of the film.

I guess once it moves up to that level it's more a case of how able to hold off from studio pressure and organised the people around you are to get the job done you are.

It's an interesting choice. Why not. Singer had a couple of small, character driven films under his belt, and that appealed to the X-Men idea, so why not.

Alex's Grandma

15:41 / 16.03.05

It was probably inevitable, but having read the ( excellent ) novel about six months ago, I was a bit disappointed by the film, to be honest. I can see why they wanted to shoot it that way, to get away from the mockney gangster flick stereotype, but Daniel Craig was too slick, too well-spoken and basically too middle-aged for the part, and much the same thing could have been said about the direction, I thought. The ending in particular was ludicrous, Brit Pack luvviedom pretty much at it's worst.

So, uh, seven out of ten, I'd say.

Also, and it's a very minor point I realise, but did they have to get Trevor 'FCUK' Beattie to design the ad campaign ? Sitting around on public transport with that 'stockings'n'suzzies' shot on the cover of the paperback was a bit like being glued to the latest 'Razzle.' I would, y'know, imagine.

FinderWolf

14:03 / 22.03.05

what is this movie actually about?

Benny the Ball

14:35 / 22.03.05

It's about a realtively intellegent man involved in drug dealing, who is forced into a situation that is setting him up for a fall by the older generation of criminals that see him as a threat, even though he genuinely has a plan to get out once his money is made.

It is so much better than I just made it sound.

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