Layer Cake

2004

Action / Crime / Drama / Thriller

93
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 84% · 141 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 84% · 100K ratings
IMDb Rating 7.2/10 10 206352 206.4K

london, england based on novel or book drug smuggling hitman kidnapping gangster

Plot summary

When a seemingly straight-forward drug deal goes awry, XXXX has to break his die-hard rules and turn up the heat, not only to outwit the old regime and come out on top, but to save his own skin...

Director

Matthew Vaughn Photo
Matthew Vaughn

Top cast

Tom Hardy Photo
Tom Hardy as Clarkie
Daniel Craig Photo
Daniel Craig as XXXX
Ivan Kaye Photo
Ivan Kaye as Freddie Hurst
Dexter Fletcher Photo
Dexter Fletcher as Cody
720p.BluRay 1080p.BluRay
650.85 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 45 min
Seeds 9
1.64 GB
1920*1080
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 45 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by daddysarm 6 / 10

For people who think "MORE" is more.

For people who think convoluted is clever. For people who think ensembling an assortment of gangster stereotypes is expansive.Still, it mostly works. The acting is fine. Everything to do with "The Serbs" is ridiculous. One minute "The Serbs" are blood-thirsty, omniscient masters of crime. The next minute they are shoulder-shruggers who can't find anyone in London and fall for the oldest trick in the book.But, given that the acting & style are the two best attributes of the film, can you imagine how bad the book must be?
Reviewed by Flagrant-Baronessa 7 / 10

Great showcase for Daniel Craig's talent - and solid entertainment

I can IMPOSSIBLY outline the plot of Matthew Vaughn's Layer Cake, so I'll just say it's about a nameless guy (Daniel Craig) doing some criminal stuff in London.In my observation there are three approaches to gangster characters in crime films: 1) The overly-amateurish 'gangsters' that are scared sh*t and mess up, like in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, 2) The kind of gangster who is an amateur, but picks up on criminal ways quickly and effortlessly if the occasion calls for it, like Max the cab driver from Collateral and 3) The stone-cold professionals who can do whatever, whenever with whatever, like any mob-boss, contract killer, etc.What is so endlessly refreshing about Layer Cake (2004) is that it applies none of these approaches to its main character Daniel Craig. He is a drug-dealer, but reluctantly resorts to violent ways. He hates guns. Murders and violence disturb him. He takes time to cope with things. He shows fear and hesitation. He actually bleeds when he is hit. In short, he is an extremely realistic person and this facilitates the film's realistic atmosphere - there's no glossy visuals or over-the-top violence.Now, it is my opinion that Layer Cake could have perhaps used some of the latter to spice things up. Its director is the producer of Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and it is clear here that he is trying to move away from flashy Ritchie editing and effects as much as possible, making his own film just a bit too barren in order to be 'different'. It works fine, but as a result, the gangster characters aren't very funny or colourful - rather they are down-to-earth London men trying to make a living. A shady living, true, but still a living.A few bland characters and an extra-template romantic storyline featuring Sienna Miller (I like her, but she is redundant in this film) drag this film down, but overall it is a very solid crime thriller, superbly acted by Daniel Craig. The score is great. In particular, please note the great use of "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran. Layer Cake isn't gloriously entertaining or anything but it feels very real and engaging and it is interesting to see the acting abilities of future Mr Bond - as well as his bare chest.7/10
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