X
- 2005
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 1 h 45 m
- 2005
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 1 h 45 m
Summary A riveting thriller set in the drug underworld of the UK. (Sony Pictures Classics)
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn
Written By: J.J. Connolly
- 2005
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 1 h 45 m
- 2005
- R
- Sony Pictures Classics
- 1 h 45 m
Layer Cake
73
8.4
Where to Watch
Summary A riveting thriller set in the drug underworld of the UK. (Sony Pictures Classics)
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn
Written By: J.J. Connolly
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 30 Critic Reviews
73
80% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
20% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 30 Critic Reviews
73
80% Positive
24 Reviews
24 Reviews
20% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Fast, convulsive, and densely exciting new British gangster thriller.
The director Vaughn has a flair not merely for action and ambiance but also for character.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 241 User Ratings
8.4
86% Positive
208 Ratings
208 Ratings
7% Mixed
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
6% Negative
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 241 User Ratings
8.4
86% Positive
208 Ratings
208 Ratings
7% Mixed
18 Ratings
18 Ratings
6% Negative
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
There's a proper lived-in believability about Layer Cake's depiction of how the worlds of the rich, the criminal and the criminally rich intersect.
A crime drama in a special class.
The result is so intoxicating, it hardly matters that you've heard it all before.
What's abundantly clear is how far this kind of moviemaking has come from any knowledge of real criminal life; it's a geek's ineffectual daydream of mayhem.
Director Matthew Vaughn went to great lengths to make this black crime comedy have a voice of its own and not come across as generic. Here it requires paying close attention to the twists and turns that are well justified. To understand how Daniel Craig got the role of James Bond.
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Somewhat great, but a great predecessor to Matthew Vaughn's hollywood masterpieces. Once again, you get to see the pure brilliance and genius of Matthew Vaughn. I **** love that talented bastard.
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A sleek, stylish, and gritty gangster crime thriller from director Matthew Vaughn, Layer Cake is a pretty damn good film. In a truly charismatic turn, Daniel Craig stars as the nameless protagonist. Looking to get out of the drug business, our hero gets caught between stolen Serbian drugs and the search for a girl strung out on drugs and hanging with bad company. A pretty straight forward crime film, Layer Cake is flawed and a bit messy at times, but has terrific kinetic energy that keeps it going. Layer Cake may not convince me Matthew Vaughn is a very good director (Kingsman can die in a fire), but it is another surprisingly good entry in his filmography.
Starring Craig as XXXX, the unnamed gangster, the film's biggest fault is its plot lacks resolution. He is hired to find this girl and the film forgets about her. He begins to have sex with Sienna Miller, but gets pulled out of the room and then it jumps to him leaving a country club with her at the end. Many of the film's plot elements are just skimmed through, names get jumbled up, or events and people are simply forgotten. Vaughn tries to string these together quite loosely and it only slightly works out at times. Fortunately, its energy and action allow you to forget about the plot a bit, but it hurts because then there is very little meat on the film's bones. The characters, regardless of sex, are useless. This is one of the film's biggest problems. While its style is nice, the same cannot be said for a pretty run-of-the-mill script that feels like a rehash of Snatch or Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. The fact that Vaughn was a producer on those films is hardly a surprise considering how similar the style is between this film and those Guy Ritchie films. That said, the poor characterization and lack of plot cohesiveness is hardly too detrimental, it just prevents the film from being better.
What is quite detrimental for Layer Cake is its shaky cam. I hate shaky cam. Using shaky cam through a lot of the action scenes, it was annoying and disorienting. Shaky cam is used in one of the most climactic portions of the film and it is a real buzzkill, leaving the sequence with no tension and, in its place, annoyance and a headache. That said, it is an exception as most of the film does not rely on shaky cam, thankfully. Unfortunately, it only makes that one sequence all the more jarring and horrible to watch, as the film has hardly prepared the viewer to take it all in via shaky cam.
That said, the film's plot is quite tense and thrilling at times. Even if its characters lack definition, they are quite engaging to watch and provide interest in the film. The complex and always changing plot is more than engaging and leaves the audience guessing throughout. While hardly original, there are enough moving parts that keep you distracted and focused on the intrigue and more engaging bits of the plot, namely the impending arrival of the Serbian mafia threatening XXXX's life. While diversions into his love life are unwelcome and the film can outdo itself at time, the plot - for a run-of-the-mill gangster action thriller - is hardly anything I can complain about.
All in all, Layer Cake is a fine film. It is unoffensive and palatable. Well-directed and incredibly stylish, it has its flaws, but it is a largely fun experience that simply lacks any mean or substance. For action junkies or people who like films of this kind, it will more than quench your thirst. For those who like some more meat on their films, Layer Cake may leave you quite cool and under the mistaken belief that there had to be more to this film than was shown. Fortunately, even for the latter group, the cool and charismatic Daniel Craig more than saves the film and helps to contribute to a film, while disposable, is more than entertaining and is great popcorn entertainment.
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even drug dealers don't work weekends..
Layer Cake
Its fast paced gripping screenplay that enfolds in each phase as it ages on screen with witty humor and complex yet amusing characters blends in perfectly creating a brilliant gangsta rap environment that is although palpable but still fails to connect with the audience. J.J. Connelly's keen adaptation (and it's short runtime) helps survive this feature where even Mathew Vaughn; the director, is supporting thoroughly and is convincing too. Daniel Craig holds tightly on to its part but seems a bit distracted to carry the whole feature on its shoulder. Layer Cake fails on creating the impact of character's emotion and the drama that come along with on screen which ultimately fails to communicate with the viewers and justify them with enough reason to convince them.
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Production Company
Sony Pictures Classics,
Marv Films
Release Date May 13, 2005
Duration 1 h 45 m
Rating R
Awards
Empire Awards, UK
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
National Board of Review, USA
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
European Film Awards
• 1 Nomination
