Layer Cake (2004)

Director:

Matthew Vaughn

Writers:

J.J. Connolly (screenplay)
J.J. Connolly (novel)

Release Date:

1 October 2004 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

A successful cocaine dealer gets two tough assignments from his boss on the eve of his planned early retirement.

Plot Keywords:

Cocaine | Ecstasy | Drug | Pills | Cake

Awards:

3 wins & 8 nominations

Cast

Daniel Craig	...	XXXX
Tom Hardy	...	Clarkie
Jamie Foreman	...	Duke
Sally Hawkins	...	Slasher
Burn Gorman	...	Gazza
Brinley Green	...	Nobby
George Harris	...	Morty
Tamer Hassan	...	Terry
Colm Meaney	...	Gene
Marcel Iures	...	Slavo
Francis Magee	...	Paul the Boatman
Dimitri Andreas	...	Angelo
Kenneth Cranham	...	Jimmy Price
Garry Tubbs	...	Brian
Nathalie Lunghi	...	Charlie

Also Known As:

L4yer Cake (Ireland: English title) (DVD box title) (UK) (DVD box title) (USA) (DVD box title)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong brutal violence, sexuality, nudity, pervasive language and drug use.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Romanian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital | SDDS (US prints) | DTS

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Argentina:16 | USA:R (certificate #40603) | South Korea:18 | Malaysia:18PL (DVD) | Japan:R-15 | Portugal:M/16 | Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Ontario) | Czech Republic:15 | Germany:16 | Ireland:18 | Italy:T | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Singapore:M18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:-12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Brazil:18

Filming Locations:

1 West India Quay, Isle of Dogs, London, England, UK

Company:

Sony Pictures Classics

Trivia:

The song that plays while XXXX and Morty drive to see Jimmy was intended to be a temporary track until something better was found, but the filmmakers liked it so much it remained in the final cut.

Goofs:

Factual errors: When the pills are being recovered in the mock police raid, we see, several times, an observer watching through binoculars. We see his eye enlarged, despite our looking the wrong way down the lens.

Quotes:

[first lines]
XXXX: When I was born, the world was a far simpler place. It was all just cops and robbers.

Movie Connections:

References Carlito's Way (1993)

Soundtrack:

You Got the Love

In short, see this film.

After being cast as Bond, Daniel Craig's back catalogue is now much sought after. Although Craig came to most of the UK's attention with a stand out performance in Our Friends in the North, it's Layer Cake that showcases why he got the Bond audition. Perhaps now, this strong contender for the best thriller of the year may find the audience it deserves. Mis-sold as a more art house friendly addition to the Guy Ritchie school of crime films, Layer Cake is a unique and remarkable experience.

The plot is deceivingly simple and would wrongly be placed in the gangster-wanting-to-retire-peacefully cinema staple seen frequently in Al Pacino movies. It is a much greater accomplishment that the audacious visual style, superb script and excellent performances make easy comparisons to this film pretty difficult. If anything it is closer to Schrader's 'American Gigalo' where the morally questionable hero is engulfed in a situation going on around him. The predominantly male cast is faultless with everyone from Dexter Fletcher to Michael Gambon putting in superb turns to give the characters justice. Far more human than the cartoon stereotypes we've come to expect after so very many Brit gangster flicks. Craig has never looked in better shape for taking on Hollywood.

Hats off then to Matthew Vaugn for filming Britain as it can look. Grimy in places but every bit astonishing in locations as our Stateside cousins. We've grown too used to seeing rain pouring and hackneyed clichés that have represented this country on celluloid. It's not foppish. It's not Bend It Like Beckham. So there really is no excuse left not to see it (aside from the awful trailer). Layer Cake deserves a wide audience and there's more than enough of everything for everyone to enjoy. At times hilarious, astonishingly frank and incredibly concise the whole film is a pure joy and clearly made for people that love film. Makes you wonder why they can't all be as classy as this.