Layer Cake (2004)

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

Director:

Matthew Vaughn

Writers:

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

Stars:

Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller, Michael Gambon

2 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 (as Natalie Lunghi)

Storyline

A successful cocaine dealer, who has earned a respected place among England's Mafia elite, plans an early retirement from the business. However, big boss Jimmy Price hands down a tough assignment: find Charlotte Ryder, the missing rich princess daughter of Jimmy's old pal Edward, a powerful construction business player and gossip papers socialite. Complicating matters are two million pounds' worth of Grade A ecstasy, a brutal Serbian gang and a whole series of double crossings. The title "LAYER CAKE" refers to the layers or levels anyone in business goes through in rising to the top. What is revealed is a modern underworld where the rules have changed. There are no 'codes', or 'families' and respect lasts as long as a line. Not knowing who he can trust, he has to use all his 'savvy', 'telling' and skills which make him one of the best, to escape his own. The ultimate last job, a love interest called Tammy, and an international drug ring threaten to draw him back into the 'cake mix'. ...

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Plot Keywords:

serbian | directorial debut | silencer | trick question | nipples visible through clothing | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

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

Details

Official Sites:

Gaumont Columbia Tristar [France] Sony Pictures Classics [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English Romanian

Release Date:

3 June 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

L4yer Cake

Filming Locations:

Newport Pagnell Service Area, M1 Motorway, Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£1,090,561 (United Kingdom), 3 October 2004, Limited Release

Opening Weekend USA:

$81,706, 15 May 2005, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,338,695, 14 August 2005

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sony Pictures Classics, Marv Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital SDDS (US prints) DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Colm Meaney would later star opposite Daniel Craig's Quantum of Solace (2009) co-star Gemma Arterton in A Deal Is a Deal (2008).

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Goofs

When XXXX wakes up in the morning before Dragan's first phone call to him, you can see he moves a pillow revealing the gun, in the next shot the gun is facing the opposite direction.

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Quotes

Gene: [to XXXX] This what being a gangster gets you. You're not in there 'cause I like you.
Morty: I'm beginning to feel left out.
Gene: Why? I seem to recall a friend of yours in intensive care after your little... reunion.

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Crazy Credits

The film lacks a traditional opening title. The title Layer Cake appears ten minutes into the film on a door that XXXX walks through.

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Connections

Referenced in Film '72: Episode #44.3 (2015)

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Soundtracks

Making Plans for Nigel
Written by Colin Moulding
Published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd
Performed by XTC
Licensed courtesy of Virgin Records Ltd

User Reviews

Clever

This is a clever drug dealer movie set in the UK. It starts out with the main character (XXXX) and narrator cheerfully extolling the virtues of the drug industry when you are careful and organised like he is. He is about to retire with a nice little fortune. Then it all starts to go wrong, one thing after another as layers are added to the plot.

Sometimes it seems as if the plot is too complex and there are two dangers, one of leaving the audience behind and two leaving gaping holes in the plot. Still the humour and action set pieces are enough to pull it through. It is not as good as Snatch or Lock, Stock etc but is original enough to stand on its own right. Worth a look.