Layer Cake (2005)
Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins
Theatrical Release: May 13, 2005 Limited
Box Office: $2,277,736
Synopsis: LAYER CAKE, a riveting thriller set in the drug underworld of the UK, marks the directorial debut of producer Mathew Vaughn (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) and stars Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, Kenneth Cranham, George Harris, Jamie Foreman, Sienna Miller and Michael... LAYER CAKE, a riveting thriller set in the drug underworld of the UK, marks the directorial debut of producer Mathew Vaughn (Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) and stars Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, Kenneth Cranham, George Harris, Jamie Foreman, Sienna Miller and Michael Gambon. Sleek, well dressed and polite, our unnamed hero (Daniel Craig) is a consummate professional. Treating cocaine and ecstasy like any other commodity, he has made a fortune for himself by keeping his hands clean and staying under the radar. Having made the decision to retire, his aim is to break free from the world of crime, drugs and violence and live a simple, quiet life with the money he has amassed. But before this can happen, crime boss Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham) wants two last favors from him. First, he must track down the missing, drug addict daughter of powerful criminal Eddie Temple (Michael Gambon). Second, he must negotiate the sale of a huge shipment of ecstasy with The Duke (Jamie Foreman), a loose cannon petty crook playing well out of his league. What should be routine transaction is anything but and nothing goes according to plan. Instead, duplicity and hidden alliances become the order of the day, in a struggle for power that reaches from the crack dens of London to the highest ranks of British society. Quickly he learns he is part of a machine much greater than he imagined, and getting out won't be quite as easy as getting in. Sony Pictures Classics presents a Matthew Vaughn Production, LAYER CAKE, starring Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, Kenneth Cranham, George Harris, Jamie Foreman, Sienna Miller and Michael Gambon. Written by author J.J. Connolly (adapted from his novel of the same name), the film is produced by Vaughn, David Reid and Adam Bohling. The Executive Producer is Stephen Marks, Director of Photography is Ben Davis, Editor is Jon Davis and Production Designer is Kave Quinn. [More]
Genre: Action/Adventure
Starring: Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, George Harris, Jamie Foreman, Sienna Miller
Screenwriter: J.J. Connolly
Producer: Matthew Vaughn, David Reid, Adam Bohling
DVD Info
Release:
Mar 13, 2007
Blu-Ray Features:
- Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- PCM 5.1 - English
- Subtitles - Chinese, English, French, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Thai - Optional
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
Intense story about low-level organized crime figures embroiled in a deadly conspiracy.
protagonist's narration puts the film's complex plot into much broader economic, political and cultural context.
Fun stuff indeed, even if you might need the subtitles to help decipher all the Britspeak.
It does nothing revolutionary, but it handles the basics with entertaining aplomb.
Just following what is going on is a big job, but the film has its rewards.
Clean, crisp and gratifying, you'd be hard pressed to find a better British film this year.
Layer Cake is not the most original or memorable picture in the world, but it's a great calling card for Vaughn.
This is one of the few movies for which I can’t tell you the name of the “hero.”
It's nothing we haven't seen before, but Vaughn invests it with enough style and energy to make it worth the trip.
...a delicious crime melodrama, with colorful characters, lots of action and violence, double and triple crosses, and a few fresh surprises of its own.
...Michael Vaughn, has cooked up a tasty treat in his directorial debut, somewhere between Mike Hodges' cool and Guy Ritchie's out-of-control Smoking Barrels.
It’s occasionally taut and clever enough to hold audience attention, but ultimately has little substance to accompany its cool exterior.
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