Genres

Visitors Review

notcrnl 2013-05-21 02:21:52

Capers are more than just great as a garnish

Layer Cake will go down as the second part of a triple feature that starts with Snatch. This movie is not as funny (deliberately) and not as violent. It dose not need the excess violence. The protagonist is one that does not like to be involved when violent action is required. He meets the checklist as the brains of the operation.I was pleased with the use of color and rhythm to provide texture to the action. There is a nice shift back and forth from action, to suspense, to remorse. This is one of the few movies that will require you pay a price for any gratuitous eye candy that is offered.The metaphor of a Layer Cake is applied well in the plot, for one having to move up through some stratification of a syndicate. I can only hope we are fortunate this is the new style of caper movie for the 21st century.

Megan McGoey-Smith 2013-05-20 06:34:17

A refreshing gangster film that... Takes the Cake

Layer cake is a film about the middle man in the drug system hierarchy.The narrator (Daniel Craig) has been planning to retire before he evenbegan. He has saved up money by buying, cutting, and distributingcocaine. Just as he is about to follow through with retiring hissupplier Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham) recruits him to retrieve afriends (Michael Gambon) missing daughter. As well the narrator mustsecure a deal to sell 1 million ecstasy pills before he can leave thedrug game. Layer Cake was the directorial debut of Matthew Vaughn who's mostrecognizable work is Kick Ass and XMen: First Class. The film is basedon the book by the same name and they are both written by author J.JConnolly. Some comparable films are: Snatch, lock, stock, and twosmoking barrels, In Bruges. The unexplored territory that Layer Cake offers is what makes this filminteresting. Rather than having a character that spirals downward as aresult of drugs, the delicate balance of greed and betrayal ispresented in a level headed protagonist; who thinks of himself as abusiness man rather than a criminal. Much like it's name, layer cake presents many different points of view(utilizing cross cut often) showing the layers of the crime world. Thisincludes the drug scene at both different times in history and thedifferent levels of power involved. At times supporting characters canbecome confusing, although a second viewing would make things clearer. Like his lack of a name the middle man's job is to lay low, make money,and keep things running between the top suppliers and the wannabegangsters. The narrator becomes a likable character in a normallymorally ambiguous genre. The usually fast pace script (great dialogue/monologues) and solidacting pared with some fresh directing makes this directorial debutworth watching. It's few flaws and unique point of view offer aexhilarating perspective in a saturated genre. 7.5/8

Kyle Smith 2013-05-17 00:40:32

Vaughn's film falls short of Goodfellas, but thanks to his ability to organize a complex story and bold, color-drenched photography by Ben Davis, Layer Cake is a cocked fist of a movie, impossible to ignore.

gainestillinger 2013-05-16 11:36:47

Slick.

Daniel Craig's nameless anti-hero is a highly successful drug dealerwho's just about ready to retire. He's a businessman who thinks morelike Gordon Gecko than Tony Montana. However, before he gets out forgood, his boss, Jimmy (Kenneth Cranham), has one more thing for him todo: find a missing drug lord's daughter and broker a deal for fivemillion Ecstasy pills that have been robbed from a very unpleasantgroup of Slovakian war criminals... and live to tell the tale. Easy. Matthew Vaughn has brought together a great ensemble of actors for thisfilm who make us laugh, wince and seethe at their antics. Thecharacters are well balanced, with some great contrasts. Craig is suaveand cool whilst Ben Whishaw (boyfriend of Craig's new squeeze) is ultragangly and Michael Gambon's uber-drug lord is grand and sophisticated,whilst Kenneth Cranham's lesser drug lord is crass and blunt. Anespecially good performance is put in by Jamie Foreman (Nil By Mouth)as 'The Duke'; a wannabe gangster who you'll want to slap really hardin the face. Oh, and Sienna Miller's in it too. She acts well, butbeing the love interest only gives her a small part in one verydisappointing part of the film, which we could have done without.The whole set-up is stylish and nicely filmed. Even second rate clubsare given a sheen and even though we are in London's drug underworld,the place seems really quite glitzy. Not that the film glorifies drugdealing, but there is a feeling that if done correctly and with theright amount of planning one can avoid being hacked up by rivals andinstead ride off into the sunset. Get a plan and stick to it - that'sCraig's motto; and this being the enjoyable ride that it is, we areinclined to believe him.

ron-black2 2013-05-11 23:17:37

"Fucking Excellent" to quote the film

When i first saw this advertised, i was dubious. They had a lead who'dnever done lead before, a director who'd never directed and the filmposter was a yellow ranger rover with an iron on it, but despite mysscepticism i went to see the film anyway. I am now very glad i did. Itwas the greatest film experience of my life, Layer Cake is stylish,clever, funny and all round entertaining Crime Thriller which is a veryhard genre to pull of properly, but Matthew Vaughn pulled it of toperfection, with his charismatic lead Daniel Craig, who plays thenameless drug dealer, which, despite his profession, you can't help butlike. Throughout the film the entire cast is both humorous andconvincing. You could believe that these were real people. The score isa work of art, it brilliantly sets the tone of each scene and matchesMatthew Vaughn's stylised direction perfectly. I recommend to all thatyou watch this film.

Melissa McGibbon 2013-05-11 07:55:50

An unusual crime thriller that feeds us the dynamic, edgy, and cataclysmic storyline that we hunger for.

Peter Debruge 2013-05-09 19:57:51

Craig proves that he's got the strength, sophistication and brawny sex appeal to carry 007's license to kill, if only Hollywood would consider the fair-haired hunk.

2013-05-09 02:34:56

"Cake" is overcomplicated but seriously cool

Even though his name is never revealed during the course of the British crime thriller, "Layer Cake," we get to know the hero very well, very fast."I'm not a gangster," he explains. "I'm a businessman whose commodity happens to be cocaine."This guy, identified as XXXX in the end credits, deals only in neatly wrapped kilos; he employs a smart chemist, a slick accountant and a loyal posse of heavies; he has a legitimate business on the side and he tools around London in a sleek silver Audi (station wagon).And while he might be a "T-shirt and jeans" kind of guy, he sports very expensive-looking T-shirts and jeans.Of course, the only reason crime thrillers stress the professionalism of their main characters is so we can watch as circumstances eventually force them to break their own rules and pay a stiff price.Those circumstances appear in the form of Jimmy (Kenneth Cranham) a grumpy upper-level gangster who summons XXXX and demands two sketchy favors of him. XXXX complies and quickly finds himself up to his earlobes in thugs, mols, Serbian assassins and the kind of bottom-feeders he likes to shun."Layer Cake" was directed by Matthew Vaughn, who previously produced Guy Ritchie's "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch." All three movies have a lot in common but Ritchie's amped-up films bounce off the walls and onto the ceiling; Vaughn's is colder and more calculating - to use a Brit pop analogy, if Ritchie's movies are akin to the strutting, pub brawlers Oasis, Vaughn's is the orchestral-but-grooving The Verve.Eventually, though, the plot becomes ridiculously complicated. While it is possible to make sense of all the scams and double-crosses, the movie is a lot more interesting when it focuses on characters instead of twists and coincidences and two particularly exaggerated violent beatings. By the last act, the movie is just chasing its own tail... and yet, somehow, it's a hard movie to dislike.Despite its terrible title (a euphemism for the gangster hierarchy) but it oozes cool: XXXX is played by Daniel Craig who could almost be a gaunt, slightly freeze-dried Steve McQueen circa "Bullitt" ; the great Michael Gambon shows up as a phlegmatic, aging tiger of a mob boss; Sienna Miller wanders through long enough to model lingerie to the Stones' "Gimme Shelter" ; and though this is his first film, Vaughn really knows how to move a story along with style.If he can keep the plot from overwhelming the characters next time around, he might turn out to be a really good director.

2013-05-08 02:35:38

Very English and Dated

This review is from: Layer Cake (Amazon Instant Video) Part of the problem I did not enjoy the video is that the language includes British slang that I just dont't get. The other problem was that the story and the video quality were dated and poor by present standards.

Gary Thompson 2013-05-07 08:18:43

Layer Cake may leave you with the feeling that you got dessert but missed the meal.

goku951 2013-05-02 22:23:25

wow what a amazing movie

wow what a amazing movie i said that after seeing it for the first timei mainly saw it since Mr Craig is going to be bond but after wards iwas thinking that this was the best gangster movie i have seen withgreat acting i mean the acting it amazing great plot a true escape thisis why we watch movies to escape and to enjoy your self well you enjoyand escape i loved this movie and the ending is whats so great it justgets ya layer cake is a true great film worth seeing but just to sayits not a a Acton movie its a thriller a drama with some funny stuffand all of the stuff to make a great movie and it never get old itsjust great the ending get you each time you watch it even you know itscoming you don't think it going to happen thats what makes it great! :)

Walter Chaw 2013-05-02 10:14:58

Infused with a healthy dose of nastiness and post-modern irony.

Dave Snoek 2013-05-02 10:18:55

Tasty

I was very interested in this film when I saw the trailer and read somestuff about it and I was very much looking forward to it. Unfortunatelythe movie didn't get a theatrical release in Holland so I had to waitfor many more months to see this flick. And when I had finally rentedit and watched it I was pleasantly surprised. I love both Lock Stock..And Snatch so I figured I'd might like it. And I do. After a secondviewing it might even end up in my top 20. Matthew Vaughn does a greatjob as first time directing. He shows the different layers of Londonfrom the sleazy gangways to the tall buildings and parks. Every shotlooks great with nice camera tricks and so on. Daniel Craig excellentlyportrays the main character. And he will make a fine james Bond. Thesoundtrack is terrific. With songs like Ordinary World from Duran Duran(great choiche for the scene it's in) and Gimme Shelter from theRolling Stones. I highly recommend it.

Mark R. Leeper 2013-05-02 05:20:47

Just following what is going on is a big job, but the film has its rewards.

cjsteltz 2013-04-25 14:51:30

Very Good Crime Film

I don't think its fair to compare this to Guy Ritchies films, because,yes it is a very different type of film. At the same time the feel ofthe movie is derivative of Ritchie in its appearance and "style". Thatbeing said Vaughn takes the best of Ritchie and mixes in his ownbrilliant narrative flare and style to complete this complex film. Fromthe opening monologue to the major 180 degree ending, which ill be thefirst to admit i didn't see coming, this film oozes grit mixing it withthe dark gangster crime reality we have all come to know and love. Thebest comparison for this film is combining Heat with Lock, Stock. Ifyou like crime dramas and can get over the Guy Ritchie connection,however vague it may be, you will for certain like this movie. I highlyrecommend it and hope to read your comments about it.

2013-04-25 01:22:14

cool movie.

I knew Daniel Craig would make an excellent James Bond after seeing him in action here. "Layer Cake" invites comparison with other films from that distinct genre of which it is apart. Along with "Snatch" "Layer Cake" is the best of the British gangster films to come along over the last couple decades. Plot, acting, cinematography - **all top notch**. That it is a directorial debut makes it even more impressive. Things do get a little hairy Plot wise, so do pay attention mate. You'll dig this flick I'm sure.

Tom Long 2013-04-25 06:47:02

Bloody good fun a great deal of the time. Love the accents. Love the guns. Bang-bang.

2013-04-24 21:59:59

Layer Cake

This review is from: Layer Cake (Amazon Instant Video) Really good movie, it seems a little slow at first but once everything starts to unfold it takes off. Definitely worth watching, action and suspense the whole way through.

2013-04-19 01:34:30

SLICK GANGSTER THRILLER WITH COLORFUL ACCENTS

Don't you love films where the hero is in fact an anti-hero with no name or backstory? Right, nor do I. But this import from the land of pies and porkies is a sparkling romp through the seedy shenanigans of the drug mafia. I see several viewers likening it to Guy Ritchie's black-humor capers, but I suspect that's chiefly attributable to the theme (underworld) and the accents (the many colors of London).Layer Cake thumps about on its business from the get-go and fritters no time on any buffoonery. Empires clash against rival empires, men are no superstars and bleed when their nose gets punched in, and the scuzzy cat and mouse game leaves little room for escape; only moments of courage, grit, and luck. Luck, most of all.A pre-Bond Daniel Craig glitters as the glib man-with-the-plan, a rapid social climber in his industry forced to learn the cruel lesson that drug dealing cannot be quite the methodical, low-profile business that he has always wanted it to be. That treachery and even murder are occupational hazards of his world, and yuppie overconfidence its principal sin.The script is punchy. Non-fat. Memorable lines. The music is pitch-perfect, and lends beautifully to the tension. Expect to have densely exciting layers created and then unraveled as you go along, not knowing exactly what will happen next. Right until the very denouement, which some may find contentious but one that I think installs just the kind of moral hook that seemed to have been missing from the entire film. I've always believed that the ending can make or mar a film, and this one here is a classic.A fine production, as foxy as they come. What Lord of War was to gun running, this is to the dreary world of drug dealing. Highly recommended purchase. This one will stand to repeat viewings. The special edition DVD also has some excellent outtakes and deleted scenes.

jotix100 2013-04-18 15:16:20

Tiramisu, or ecstasy?

"Layer Cake" the stylish neo noir film by Matthew Vaughn, making hisdirectorial debut, shows a man with enormous potential to do muchbetter in future projects. The film, based on J.J. Connelly's novel, isa study about the drug business by some ruthless people that are makinga lot of money with their illegal commerce.Point in case, the nameless hero of the story who figures he has playedthe game right and now is about to make an exit from the business.Little does he know that his friend Jimmy Price has other ideas for himto execute, no doubt driven by a desire to get him in trouble, asproves to be the case."Layer Cake" screams for a second viewing. In fact, it is probably arequirement because it will make things clearer to the viewer who mightget lost in this story with so many twists and turns.Daniel Craig is the best thing going in the movie. In fact, he keptreminding us of a young Steve McQueen because of his cool demeanor andhow he seems to move effortlessly throughout the film. Kenneth Cranham,as Jimmy Price, is also another actor whose contribution is an asset inthe film. Michael Gambon, leaner and tanner, is a cool drug lord whorules a vast empire. Colm Meaney also is excellent, as well as theextensive cast.Look for the next film by Matthew Vaughn!