Layer Cake

While more serious than many of its contemporaries, Layer Cake is quite the treat
Starring: Daniel Craig, Colm Meany, Sienna Miller, Michael Gambon
Written by: J.J. Connolly (Based on his book, Layer Cake)
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn

Layer Cake, while directed by the same producer that worked on such projects as Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, doesn't follow the same fast-paced action that the other films prided themselves on. Instead, Layer Cake, as it's name implies slowly makes it's way through the layers of the British drug-ring world, which is the same world that XXXX (Daniel Craig) tries to escape. The plot twists and turns throughout the course of the movie, and takes on quite the ride, all the while the performances, particularly that of Daniel Craig, put the exclamation point on an already well-made film. While playing more or less of the unlikely hero, Daniel Craig adds so much depth to what would otherwise be just another one-dimensional drug smuggler that it makes the movie all the more enjoyable. The cinematography is outstanding, often connecting two events seamlessly to the point that they would appear to be the same event, and the screenplay does an exceptional job of accentuating the analytical depths that were focused on for the movie, without being tiresome. Perhaps the strongest suit to the movie is it's attention to details, whether it be explaining backstories of the characters or the development of plot twists, there are very few broken links to be found. This is a wonderfully made film, particularly considering this is the directorial debut of Matthew Vaughn, that could easily benefit from repeated viewings. Mix that with a great script and an outstanding acting performance by Daniel Craig, and Layer Cake truly is a winner.

Overall rating: ★★★★¾

Gorillaz Demon Days

No longer just fun and games...

With Dan the Automator gone, Gorillaz turned to the equally eclectic Danger Mouse to put together an album that is quite simply an outstanding, albeit difficult follow-up to their self-titled debut. Don't let the poppy "Feel Good Inc.," featured in the new iPod ads, fool you, the majority of songs here are sculpted with much darker tones, feeling almost industrial in their delivery with such songs as "O Green World." If there is one aspect of the album that still holds true from their debut it is that there is still something for everyone. Bassheads will love the entirety of the album, as the beats and baselines are rocking as ever, fans of the happy-go-lucky Gorillaz of old will be able to find some fun on this album too (though it's harder to come by) on the two lead singles "Feel Good Inc." and "Dirty Harry" as well as "DARE." Fans of Damon Albarn will enjoy the greater focus he has put to the vocals, and with Danger Mouse on board it appears that the two collaborate much more nicely than Albarn had with Dan the Automator, as there is a very natural flow through the entirety of the album. Much of the difficulty in this album is that Demon Days is best enjoyed when played from beginning to end, and in hearing it all at once, there is a realization that these guys have elevated what was once thought of as a novelty band to an exceptionally intelligent band that, now with two exceptional records under their belts, has to be taken seriously. Demon Days is one of the few albums in recent times that takes you through an entire experience, an experience that exists not within this world but in another place and at another time. There are some great guest spots on this album as well, as MF Doom, who never disappoints, is outstanding on "November Has Come," and Shaun Ryder provides an extra spark on the previously mentioned "DARE." There is also a great spoken word piece provided by Dennis Hopper on "Fire Coming out of The Monkey's Head." All in all this is an exceptionally well done album that truly shows the genius of both Albarn and Danger Mouse, it should be exciting to see where Gorillaz can go from here.

Overall rating: ★★★★½

Nikka Costa Can'tneverdidnothin'

Funky and fun, definitely a CD worth looking at
Artist to Watch

Four years after her debut album Everybody Got Their Something, Nikka Costa returns with a sound that appears much more focused, and therefore creates overall a much tighter experience compared to the debut. Straying away from the more hip-hop influenced beats, she instead moves to the foray of funk-rock (even having Lenny Kravitz guest star as guitarist/bassist on a few tracks) a genre that seems to fit her like a glove. While the grooving party anthems such as "Till I Get To You," "Can'tneverdidnothin'," "Swing It Around" and "Happy In The Morning" are the clear standouts in their , the subtleties that are within her slower songs ("I Gotta Know" and "Hey Love") that add depth to her album, and show that she's capable of transitioning from fast to slow without making it feel forced or unbalanced. Overall, the sound of this album seems much better fit than that found on Everybody Got Their Something and for that reason Can'tneverdidnothin' is a stronger effort and shows that Nikka Costa, who should be considered anything but a one hit wonder, should have quite a career ahead of her.

Overall rating: ★★★½

Unleashed

What happens when a good idea goes terribly wrong
Starring: Jet Li, Morgan Freeman, Bob Hoskins, and Kerry Condon
Written by: Luc Besson
Directed by: Louis Leterrier

In concept (and in the trailers for that matter), this is a movie that could have very easily gone the other way. It's supposed to be a "kung-fu movie with heart" if you will, where Jet Li, an exceptionally-damaged person, winds up in the loving home of a step-father and daughter (Morgan Freeman and Kerry Condon, respectively) and tries to find himself through them. However, the end result was an extremely unbalanced affair, which jumped from over the top fight scenes to a family drama at the blink of an eye and left no room or time for any emotions to truly set in. There's an overusage of narrative economy, particularly on the parts of Bart (Bob Hoskins) and the rest of the "bad guys" in the film, who really come off as over the top versions of the bad guys played in all of Guy Ritchie's films (or similar british crime film for that matter). This overkill makes the overall effort of this film seem particularly lazy and not well integrated, and the action/fight sequences of the film are equally ridiculous, and not in any wowing fashion (these are all moves that either Jet Li or one of his many counterparts have done before), so there really wasn't much to look forward to in that aspect as well. By the end of the film, it seemed that if it had stuck to being simply either an action movie or a drama, it would have been much more successful, but instead it's a half-hazard in-betweener that, while partially entertaining, never really amounts to much, and is subpar to what everyone involved is capable of doing.

Overall Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Chappelle's Show: Season 2 Uncensored

It's a Celebration Bitches!

Amidst the now partially-settled scandal, Season 2 of Chappelle's Show has finally arrived, and it couldn't have come soon enough. The DVD will finally give fans something to tide them over until the third season makes way to Comedy Central. The DVD is well packaged and features all 13 episodes and even some of the musical performances (which was something missing from last season. For those that are not too familiar with the show, the definite highlights are both of Charlie Murphy's (yes, he's really Eddie Murphy's brother) True Hollywood stories featuring Dave playing the late Rick James and Prince as the chauvinistic, couch-dirtying party animal and ultimate baller respectively. Lovable characters from last season also return such as Tyrone the crackhead and also a weird (but funny) rehash of the Player Haters skit from last year. What gives this dvd true replay value is the bonus features, which contain over an hour of bloopers and deleted scenes, audio commentary by Chappelle himself and co-creator Neal Brennan, and much more! For those of you who aren't too familiar with Dave Chappelle as a stand up comedian also get a treat in the extra stand-up from Dave which shows unused clips of his stand up routines which he does in between skits, and show how genuinely funny he is not only as a skit-writer/impersonator but also as a pure stand up performer. This is a great treat for anyone who is a fan of Chappelle and his show and it should undoubtedly sell just as well if not better than his previous season. It truly has something for everyone, and it reinforces how much of a comedic genius Dave Chappelle is.

★★★★★

Common BE

One step closer to the revolution...

When Common released Electric Circus back in '02, the album unsurprisingly was received with mixed feelings. While the concept was well-intended, with its continuous envelope-pushing and often challenging sound, many felt that as a whole the album was just too unfocused and felt like the overly-experimental cousin of The Roots' Phrenology. Whether or not the album was another case of Erykah Badu's often intoxicating influence can be questioned (and funny enough is an issue addressed on Common's bonus DVD), but he makes a great sonic departure from the previous album with his new release BE.
BE returns to the sound that most Common fans are familiar with, as the backgrounds are heavily soul/jazz influenced while Kanye West's production provides an extra punch to Common's sound, adding a depth unfounded in any of his previous albums. The first song and lead single "The Corner" which features The Last Poets is a powerful single that truly showcases Common's incredible aptitude for not only story telling but also his great sense of social consciousness. The following track "Go" (which will be the second single for the album), while slightly repetitive with it's one word chorus, features an exceptional beat that should make it a club hit this summer. The other weakness with "Go" is that it features of all people John Mayer, and he essentially just sings the chorus which feels somewhat underwhelming. Other highlights on the album are the very soulful "Faithful" featuring Bilal and John Legend, "The Food" as heard from Chappelle's Show, and Common's homage to his hometown in "Chi City."
Overall, Common's sound is derivative, but not in a bad way by any means. While the beats and vocals are as strong as ever the production puts the focus on the connection between Common and the listener, and while nothing on here is particularly groundbreaking the pure honesty shown by Common and his lyrics alone make this album well worth buying. Fans of old Common can come into this album with open arms, while he may not have created the ultimate revolutionary album, he's definitely a few steps closer to making it.

Overall rating: ★★★★¼