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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 fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
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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
N/R

Click to read the article

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

There's plenty to enjoy with this piece of Cake.

Full Review Source: E! Online | comment Comment
05/13/05
E! Online
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

[Craig] is a great anti-hero, tough yet vulnerable, conflicted and amused, sincere and scared, without a hint of any of it on his sleeve.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
05/19/05
Allison Benedikt
Allison Benedikt
Chicago Tribune

Proudly retro ... serves as a sharp reminder of the gory glory days.

Full Review Source: The Stranger (Seattle, WA) | comment Comment
05/26/05
Andrew Wright
Andrew Wright
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

The cast is uniformly good...but Vaughn is much too enamored of trick transitions

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
05/13/05
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

A masterly, intricately plotted crime story.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
06/02/05
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic

Gets by courtesy of a fierce, wounded performance by Craig, whose icy blue eyes and serene pragmatism offer a convincing ballast to Layer Cake’s pop violence.

Full Review Source: Now Playing Magazine | comment Comment
05/20/05
Brent Simon
Brent Simon
Now Playing Magazine

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
06/04/05
Brian Marder
Brian Marder
Hollywood.com

This isn’t the real British underworld, and it's not supposed to be. This is a highly stylized and ultra-hip British underworld – and it’s entertaining as hell.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
05/09/05
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

A corrosive confection of style and bile, its gleaming, butter cream-frosted contours not really concealing the crumbs who have curdled British society with their drugs.

Full Review Source: San Jose Mercury News | comment Comment
05/19/05
Bruce Newman
Bruce Newman
San Jose Mercury News

Marks an impressive directing debut by Matthew Vaughn, Guy Ritchie's producer on Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.

Full Review Source: Sacramento Bee | comment Comment
06/03/05
Carla Meyer
Carla Meyer
Sacramento Bee

The [crap] may be out of control, but director Matthew Vaughn is firmly in it.

Full Review Source: AboutFilm.com | comment Comment
02/16/05
Carlo Cavagna
Carlo Cavagna
AboutFilm.com

Although ultimately no less artificial than hyperactive laddie gangster flicks like Snatch ... just an uncommonly good one.

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
04/28/05
Chris Barsanti
Chris Barsanti
Film Threat

Layer Cake has sizzle, but it also offers plenty of steak.

Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | comment Comment
05/26/05
Chris Vognar
Chris Vognar
Dallas Morning News

"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
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by fresh rating; UK critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
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Latest News for Layer Cake

December 17, 2007: RT on DVD: The Simpsons, Stardust, and More!
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"
In an otherwise unremarkable office building in London's trendy Soho, the clichés are out in force; magic is being made, fantasies are coming to life and dreams are being... More...

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