Giving opinions for several years and showing like a fine vintage
Giving opinions for several years and showing like a fine vintage
Member since:11.07.2000
Reviews:625
Members who trust:55
Moments after the trailer had played for Layer Cake at the cinema
"Why would I want to see that, it's just another British gangster film"
Hence the reason why I never ventured to the movies to see Layer Cake. I have to confess I'd only seen Lock, Stock and Snatch, at first I liked those movies but then came to love them less and less with every carbon copy they spawned into British film history. My opinion certainly wasn't helped by the fact that Lock, Stock's producer Matthew Vaughn was directing it.
But a man can change his opinion and after seeing Layer Cake I'm happy to dispel the idea that the British gangster film is a dead horse. In fact Layer Cake is a refreshing change from the norm where the only thing Britain can commit to film is a mockney crime caper or a twee romantic comedy where everyone lives in London on £30,000 a year salaries.
- Welcome To The Layer Cake -
Layer Cake is about a successful cocaine dealer in London. The main character is played by new 007 Daniel Craig, we never know his name so I'll refer to the IMDB listing of XXXX. He has earned
a place among the crime elite with his dealings and plans to retire early before the game gets him. But getting out is never easy, big crime boss Jimmy Price assigns him to finding the daughter of another crime boss. But what would seem easy turns into a multi-layered world of trouble with double crossings, dangerous hit men and a load of Ecstasy tablets.
What I liked about Layer Cake is that it played it straight. This isn't a comedy; instead it's how a crime film should be - hardcore. This is more Long Good Friday than Lock, Stock with a ton of great characters and loads of style. I was very impressed with the directorial debut of Vaughn. There's a lot of visual flair on show here and while Guy Ritchie disappears into director jam, Vaughn gets courted by the major studios for their big guns like X-Men 3.
It's easy to see why Daniel Craig has taken the 007 role. He displays a rough charm, handles a gun well and can also act. As XXXX he owns the film but it also helps when you've got old hands such as Michael Gambon on board.
Take a slice of Layer Cake, you might like the taste. And with a line like that I really should be writing tag lines for movie posters.
- The Audio & Video Stuff -
If you didn't see Layer Cake on the big screen then the small screen version won't let you down. In 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen, the film looks as good as a bit of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The visual style of the film is well produced with sharpness and clarity. Most British films have a tendency to look a little dull thanks to a lack of ambition in the style. Layer Cake bucks the trend by looking every bit a Hollywood production.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 Soundtrack is also pretty solid. There's not a great deal of blokes sounds in it. By that I mean there's minimal gun use, explosions are lacking and there's not gratuitous slo-mo white vest action. But what you get is a cool representation of the score, clear dialogue and the occasional bit of flair in the rears.
- Much More Than The Film -
Layer Cake is a two-disc set and comes with a decent array of extra stuff for your viewing pleasure.
On the first disc the film is supplemented by an audio commentary with Matthew Vaughn and writer JJ Connelly. The track is very informative and covers many aspects of the production. You have both viewpoints from a director on the look, and the writer on the characters, the inspirations and the original book.
The second disc contains some good stuff and is relatively free of promotional guff.
Of course there is the obligatory making of which is nothing more than a promo fluff piece featuring interviews and footage from the film. It's pretty bland but expected.
Much better is a NFT Q&A session with Vaughn and Craig. The pair talk about the film with an audience and cover some good ground throughout.
A two-disc set is nothing without the traditional deleted scenes. 13 little pieces are included here but as always there's nothing special on show. Just a few scene extensions here and there. There is an alternate ending similar to the one in the final but with a different outcome. Thankfully Vaughn had the balls not to take the studio route and go with the usual safe ending.
Two scenes are covered in a storyboard section where you can view the scene in the film along with the storyboard playing out. I like these features; maybe someday someone will include the entire movie on a dvd in storyboard format.
Rounding out the disc is a music video, which is a nice slice of ambience as well as a collection of stills and the usual trailers.
-Finally-
I have to say I liked Layer Cake so much that I ordered the DVD straight after watching a rental copy. It's certainly a film I'll be watching again and at £6 from Choices it's a no-brainer purchase.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
Production Year: 1957 - Drama - Director: Leo McCarey - Original Language: English - Classification: Universal - Starring: Cathleen Nesbitt, Deborah Kerr, Cary Grant, Richard Denning, Neva Patterson, Fortunio Bonanova
Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
As much as I sort of half want to see this, I still have visions of the Mitchell brothers appearing in shot. Much prefer 1930s gangster films personally, but as Pinky below saya, excellent to see us Brits gettting in on the action. K xxx
pinkmatchstick 03.01.2006 21:54
A good British gangster film? About time too. Nice review again.
bingbong 03.01.2006 21:10
I didn't think this would be my sort of film but you've made it sound worth a watch. anna x
As its title suggests,Layer Cakeis a crime thriller that cuts into several levels of its ... more
treacherous criminal underworld. The title is actually one character's definition of the drug-trade hierarchy, but it's also an apt metaphor for the separate layer...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
As its title suggests,Layer Cakeis a crime thriller that cuts into several levels of its ... more
treacherous criminal underworld. The title is actually one character's definition of the drug-trade hierarchy, but it's also an apt metaphor for the separate layer...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
A successful drug dealer is just about to retire from the industry when he finds that his ... more
ill-gotten gains begin dwindling as his legacy crumbles around him. Based on J.J. Connelly's London crime novel of the same name the producer of 'Lock Stock And...
Postage & Packaging: £0.00 Availability: 3-5 working days
From the producer of Snatch, Matthew Vaughn makes his directorial debut in the stylish ... more
crime thriller Layer Cake. Based upon J.J. Connolly's London crime novel, 'Layer Cake' is about a successful cocaine dealer (Daniel Craig) who has earned a respected...
Advantages: Excellent cast and crew that makes it a very real movie. Not in the slapstick Cockney Geezer mould of Snatch and Lock Stock Disadvantages: A little dark in places that a few people might find disturbing, slows down a little now and again but not majorly
Andy.mack 20.03.2005 ·
Read review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Layer Cake (DVD)
![Layer Cake [DVD] [2004]](http://picnica.ciao.com/uk/78505598.jpg "Layer Cake [DVD] [2004]")
exceptional by (8%):
very helpful by (92%):
