Layer Cake

Layer Cake

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Released: 1st October 2004 (UK)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Plot: A successful cocaine dealer gets two tough assignments from his boss on the eve of his planned early retirement.
User ratings: 7.4/10 (reference IMDB)
Awards: 3 wins and 8 nominations

The opening scene to Layer Cake is the back of a black van this comes across to the audience as a dark film. So already we can see that the genre is going to represent crime within the film. The use of the black van on the black back ground gives of a gothic appeal towards the audience.



The next shot we see is a robbery we got smoke filling the room giving it a thriller genre. In the back ground we got gangster men raiding the back of the black van and we have another gangster with a shotgun threatening the public. All this together helps give of the concept of the film and tells the audience what sort of genre they will expect, crime and thriller. In this scene the director has used a mid angle shot, we can see that the camera is only filming the mans upper body but we can see the men in the back ground. This camera angles helps give the perception that the man with the gun is dangerous.



In this scene below, we have Daniel Craig Narrating it and continually through out the film. He’s describing how drug business has developed over the years, “then came the summer of love” this meaning more people doing drugs means more profit. The use of this technique of him narrating is very good as it connects within the audience and tells the audience what’s happening so we don’t get lost. The narrator’s voice has a London Accent to it which gives of this serious gangster sound which really helps connect with its crime genre.



During the start of the film, the camera uses this merging technique which is very good. Looking at the picture below we can see the merging technique in place. As he is walking, everything behind starts becoming a pharmacy. This is a clever technique, as he is narrating its like he’s falling from his world back to reality.



The next shot we see is a mid angle shot, we got the camera walking with him as he is going down the path. We can see on the characters expression he is very serious, well kept and shouldn’t be messed with. This is what the director is trying to get across to the audience; his characters look dangerous and are dangerous, he is establishing a fear a factor within the audience. This technique helps to give of the thriller aspects within the film, he's establishing the thriller genre within the film through fear and crime.



This scene here we got two people cutting up their coke getting it ready to deal. This camera angle is really good on the left side we got the assistant and on the right side we have the boss. The use of the black walls and closed curtains helps to give of a gothic appeal. The black walls and closed curtains represents that they’re hiding, keeping a low profile. This scene has a gothic appeal to it and helps to establish its crime genre to it, dealing coke, keeping hidden all this represents the crime genre.



Through out the film, we have the narrator describing his key rules to survival and how to get through the business and be successful. Here below, we have our typical “thriller” shot, loads of money all stacked up; packing it up this tells the audience that these criminals are successful. The use of the money is used in a lot of thriller films, e.g. psycho when she takes the money and runs off with it etc. This scene below has a thriller appeal to it, around the table we have gangsters getting the share of the profit etc, your typical sort of gangster “scene” if you like.



In this shot here, we have one of the main characters walk through the door. The camera angle is slightly panned upwards to make Jimmy look bigger and more powerful, this technique is very clever. We can tell he’s important by his facial expressions, the way he’s standing. We also have someone opening the door for him this is sign of respect.



The final shot of the opening is a great shot, it’s very gothic. The lighting in this scene is very dark and very gothic, we can’t see the characters face, everything around him, and the environment is all dark. This gives the impression of a very dangerous, dark area. This shot here is a very typical thriller shot, man in a suit with a case walking down a dark gothic road.



Through out the film, we have a narrator which is a very good technique as it helps to connect within the audience and we get to know the main character very closely and can relate to him better. The film has used different techniques and ideas to reach its thriller genre e.g. using the pile of money and the dark gothic rooms and area. The film has been very successful within reaching its thriller genre.