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Movies / On DVD / Layer Cake
Layer Cake

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Layer Cake (2005)

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Reviews Counted:128

Fresh:103

Rotten:25

Average Rating:7.1/10

Consensus: A stylized, electric British crime thriller.

Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

Genre: Action/Adventure

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... 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]

Starring: Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, George Harris, Jamie Foreman

Starring: Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, George Harris, Jamie Foreman, Sienna Miller, Michael Gambon, Kenneth Cranham, Marcel Iures, Tom Hardy, Tamer Hassan, Sally Hawkins

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Director: Matthew Vaughn
Screenwriter: J.J. Connolly
Producer: Matthew Vaughn, David Reid, Adam Bohling
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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Reviews for Layer Cake

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
04/01/06
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Clean, crisp and gratifying, you'd be hard pressed to find a better British film this year.

Full Review Source: FilmFocus | comment Comment
07/05/05
Dan Chant
Dan Chant
FilmFocus

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/19/04
Matthew Turner
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon

It's slickly shot and enjoyable.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
10/19/04
Nev Pierce
Nev Pierce
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

While it's visually striking, with superior acting, it's also cluttered with a bewildering collection of characters and plot threads.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
10/19/04
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

"Layer Cake" is a stylized British noir full of clever twists, biting dialogue, and plenty of ironic violence.

Full Review Source: ColeSmithey.com | comment Comment
07/02/09
Cole Smithey
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: NPR.org | comment Comment
10/18/08
Bob Mondello
Bob Mondello
NPR.org
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

A história bem amarrada é beneficiada ainda pelo senso de humor seco e eficaz, ao passo que o elenco confere charme a um bando de personagens inescrupulosos e a direção de Vaughn, associada à inventiva montagem, torna o filme sempre instigante.

comment Comment
09/01/08
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Jim Lane
Jim Lane
Sacramento News & Review
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
07/29/08
Leslie Felperin
Leslie Felperin
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[A] fun, snappy crime caper that begins with a wryly understated take on the "one-last-job-and-I'm-out" subgenre.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid

Intense story about low-level organized crime figures embroiled in a deadly conspiracy.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
03/10/06
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

protagonist's narration puts the film's complex plot into much broader economic, political and cultural context.

Full Review Source: Draxblog Movie Reviews | comment Comment
11/17/05
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
Draxblog Movie Reviews

A smart thrill ride with one magnificent finish.

Full Review Source: Reno Gazette-Journal | comment Comment
10/07/05
Forrest Hartman
Forrest Hartman
Reno Gazette-Journal
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
09/26/05
AV Club
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
09/01/05
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Fun stuff indeed, even if you might need the subtitles to help decipher all the Britspeak.

Full Review Source: DVD Clinic | comment Comment
08/23/05
Scott Weinberg
Scott Weinberg
DVD Clinic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
07/29/05
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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Latest News for Layer Cake

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This week the shelves are packed, and just in time for the holidays! Check out the long-awaited big-screen debut of Springfield's finest (The Simpsons Movie), Matthew Vaughn's... More...

August 08, 2007: Matthew Vaughn To Helm Thor
Ain't It Cool News recently caught up with director Matthew Vaughn for a chat about projects past (Layer Cake), present (Stardust), and future -- including a possible film... More...

June 14, 2007: Another Superhero Movie! "Thor" is Coming!
He's a Norse god with a giant hammer. Bring on the bad guys! More...

March 22, 2007: RT-UK Exclusive: Edit Suite Report and New Pics for "Stardust"
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