Layer Cake

The pussy-whipped Guy Ritchie isn't exactly having a good time (his current film, Revolver, has perhaps even worse reviews in British media than his previous mega-flop starring Madonna), so another "Ritchie-flick" from a talented young filmmaker comes in handy. For a debut, this is a smartly directed, well-conceived gangster film about a drug dealer and his peripatetic quest to obtain a large shipment of ecstasy, all with the help of rival drug gangs. What separates this film from a fourth star is the fact that there is not a single scene that is indelibly etched in my memory, and that I liked the genre-similar Snatch a bit more, thanks to its more engaging story. Layer Cake simply gets old fast. Daniel Craig is okay, though, he has charisma, he can act too, but that doesn't mean I can't imagine a different type of actor in the role of James Bond. (29/10/2005)

Superb. Vaughn is talented and serves up this great genre piece excellently. Camera tricks, great music, focus on actors... Today these are the creme de la creme of British actors and you can see that Craig put a lot of Mr. Into Bond. The story is well-thought through, has some surprises in store and, most importantly, it’s entertaining. (28/07/2013)

It has seemed for some time now that Matthew Vaughn is just trying to stylishly pick out the best tricks from his friend Guy Ritchie's golden scams, so I enjoyed watching the young or unknown faces of future or current stars more than the over-complicated plot. However, the viewer gets used to the number of characters and the turbulent changes in mood, and suddenly the fast pace seemed almost flawless to me. An incredibly precise and fresh gangster film for a debut, even though it's just a precursor to the director's abilities and potential for his future films. (15/08/2019)

Another in a series of pictures about the contemporary drug underworld that are full of dirty tricks, twists and that sort of thing. Debutant Matthew Vaughn did a good job and is helped considerably by a strong screenplay. The best thing about this is that this isn’t meant to be a spoof. In fact, quite the opposite. It is serious from start to finish. And that is good, very good, because we have seen far too many variations on “cool Richie pics". (21/04/2022)

Matthew Vaughn is now a well-respected director, but his early works were largely unknown to me until now. I have a fondness for British detective films because they have a unique style, much like wine is to France. Layer Cake fits perfectly into this category. I was pleasantly surprised by the film’s approach, which felt more lighthearted, even though it tackled serious themes that should be treated with some respect (and that’s what gave it its charm). The decision to cast Daniel Craig in the lead role was a spot-on choice, and with the rest of the cast being British, I was treated to that excellent British humor full of satire—not everyone may enjoy it, but I devour it. I liked the story, as it had interesting moments and boasted an original plot. I also have to give extra points for the soundtrack, which, while sometimes extravagant, fit perfectly into the scenes and was clearly the work of a genius. More films like this, please. I give it 79%. (11/06/2017)