Introduction
The book is a narrative by a drug dealer who has established a flourishing dealing in London but is planning to quit the illegal way of life and subsequently live like a perfect gentleman. The plan to retire is however halted by two assignments relating to a stolen ecstasy consignment. A German who wants the stolen shipment recovered also wants revenge taken on any person who had played any part in the stealing. Jimmy prince who is a linchpin in the story assign the narrator the task of recovering the stolen drugs and also locate the missing daughter of an affluent associate. The story centers on the themes which include violence, deceit, greed, crime, betrayal and murder. Although in the novel the narrator’s name is kept anonymous the film features actor Daniel Craig as the narrator.
The story commences on April fool’s day in the year 1997. During this time, the narrator and a friend anxiously wait to trade half kilo of cocaine to Jeremy who is late. However before the actual arrival of Jeremy, the book introduces some characters who are further explained in terms of the historical perspective. Some of the characters introduced include Morty (George Harris) who is introduced as a person who had been sentenced to eight years in prison but ended up serving five and a quarter years after being found guilty of disposing off a suicide casualty after a partying incident. Further, the author introduces young Clarkie whom the narrator believes would take up his roles when he finally retired from his escapades. Accordingly, Terry a character described as a friend to all is also introduced. Terry is depicted as a determined person who started very small and gradually grew into business. At last, Jimmy arrives albeit thirty minutes after the agreed time (Connolly, 2000).
Consequently, Jimmy is invited to a porn shop belonging to Mortimer. He interrupts a quarrel involving Mort and a worker, Nobby. Nobby is described as confused regarding a low quality sex gear shipment from Netherlands which they had not requested and a decision to send it back is made. Mort then takes the narrator to Pepi Barn which is a restaurant regarded as the haunt for Jimmy Price. At the restaurant the narrator introduces another character, Gene (Colm Meaney), who is said to be Jimmy’s loyal right hand man. As things unfold, it becomes clear that the motive of the dinner is to discuss the vanishing of Charlotte Ryder, a daughter of Edward Ryder. Accordingly, Edward Ryder is portrayed as a wealthy man who has been a person who has been known to Jimmy since childhood. Charlotte has run away with her boyfriend, Trevor Atkins, also known as Kinky (Connolly, 2000). Consequently, Jimmy assigns the narrator the role of finding Charlotte with the promise that Jimmy will allow him to retire peacefully.
Accordingly, Jimmy provides the narrator with information relating to Ecstasy pills whose origin is Amsterdam. The narrator is also tasked with finding a customer for the drugs hurriedly. Following the meeting with the gangsters (yahoos), the narrator acquiesces to their demands since he is unable to reason with them. He leaves having agreed to find a buyer. Before leaving he however lets them know that the consignment is worth less than their presumed price which makes them discontented. The two tasks consequently put the narrator (Craig) in difficulties as he is transformed to an assassin thereby revealing the murderous theme.
The narrator then requests his friend Cody (Billy Bogus) and his partner referred to as Tiptoes to help him find Charlotte. Cody acknowledges the difficulties involved but still accepts the task. Later the narrator encounters Sidney who is part of the crew holding the pills and who is also a member of the Yahoos in a London club. He is attracted to Tammy (Sienna Miller), Sydney’s girlfriend who offers her number to the narrator and asks him to call. It is during the adventure that the narrator gets information regarding The Duke who is depicted as a coke addict and the person in charge of Sydney’s crew. His (Duke) character is portrayed as paranoia which is said to have prompted his girlfriend Slasher to assault a local council member with pepper spray. She further kills a valued Doberman alias Mike Tyson belonging to Duke by shooting it. As such, Duke’s girlfriend is depicted as a violent person. The narrator finds the saga comical but the person narrating it panics realizing that the police or one of Duke’s allies could have heard him disclose information. This makes a reader to sympathize with the narrator of Duke’s story.
Consequently, Clarkie, Mortimer and the narrator set out to look for the pills an endeavor which leads them to Liverpool to meet with Shanks and Trevor who are described as drug dealers. Shanks however inform the three that the Yahoo has actually stolen the pills which belonged to a neo-Nazi group which has subsequently acquired the services of a killer referred to as Klaus to get the pills back. The narrator’s nightmare relating to the brutal tormenting and murder of boatman, Van Tuck, also prompts a sympathetic reaction.
Later, Kinky is found dead at a flat. The narrator however gathers information from crackheads who inform him that Kinky had arrived with Charlie before his murder. Crackheads also give information relating to the departure of Charlie to Brighton and Cody is sent after her. Further, the scene relating to the beating of Freddy by Morty at a café also depicts the later as a violent character. After the incident, Morty goes into hiding. The narrator is further presented with a challenge when he learns from Gene that if Freddy dies from the injuries inflicted by Morty, he will have only two options, either to testify against Morty or to be committed to a jail term for being an accomplish. However, the fact that Gene discloses the innocence of Morty regarding the incident for which Morty served a five year Jail term makes a reader to sympathize with Morty’s situation. This leads the narrator to arrange a meeting with Tammy.
He is however kidnapped before meeting with Tammy by Eddies men. Subsequently, Eddie (Michael Gambon) informs the narrator that Jimmy had betrayed him and the reasons which had made Jimmy to order the narrator to find Charlie. He (Eddie) also produces a recording as evidence of Jimmy’s betrayal. This leads to his killing of Jimmy. However, contrary to his thinking that no one could detect that he was the one who killed Jimmy, Gene discovers that the narrator did. Gene beats the narrator viciously but the later manages to convince Gene his reasons (Connolly, 2000).
The author of the novel reveals the greedy character of the narrator. This is evident in the fact that even after the death of Jimmy, the narrator continues his quest of stealing the pills from the Yahoos. The narrator and Jimmy thus promote the avaricious theme in the novel as well as in the film. The theme is prominent throughout the novel and has also been implied in Eddie’s action after the narrator and his friends deliver the boxes allegedly containing the pills to Eddie. To some extent the refusal to pay by Eddie for the delivered boxes and subsequently his kidnapping of the narrator and his friends also bring out a theme of betrayal. The narrator also betrayed Sydney leading to his being shot.
Although initially the author depicts the narrator as a trustworthy person, his character after the death of Jimmy depicts him as dishonest. Deceit is also depicted in the characters of Jimmy, the narrator and Eddie. For instance, deceit on the part of the narrator and his friend Morty is depicted in the way he and his friends trick Klaus on the train. With regard to the foregoing, the attitude of the narrator helps to shape most of the themes in the movie as well as in the novel. For instance, the author portrays a situation where the narrator was eager to retire except that he did not have a choice but to comply with Jimmy’s orders. The film also begins with the depiction of the narrator (Craig) as crook who is not strictly speaking a gangster.
The earlier interpretation is eroded by the fact that even after he kills Jimmy he continues with the mission for his selfish reasons instead of retiring. He only retires from his former lifestyle after the warning by a mystifying government official. The film ends in an episode where Craig is shot by Ben Whishaw (Sidney) while accompanied by Tammy in front of a restaurant after a festive lunch. He drops on the steps of the café bleeding, his outcome unknown.
Work Cited
Connolly, J. Layer Cake. London, Duckworth Literary Entertainments Ltd, 2000.
Layer Cake: Differences between the Book and the Film and Interesting Facts About The
Film; Available at http://cinemaroll.com/cinemarolling/layer-cake-differences-between-the-book-and-the-film-and-interesting-facts-about-the-film/#ixzz1t1qnPLRk Accessed on 24th April.
