Layer Cake (DVD)

...the form of last years Layer Cake. The film itself boasted a whole host of British acting talent but instantly doubt was raised as to whether Vaughn could make anything to compete with Ritchie’s debut movie. I never actually got to see Layer Cake at the cinema but as soon as the DVD was available I made sure I got myself a copy. We never learn the lead characters name (Daniel Craig) and I think this adds a sense of mystery to the film and gives ...
...of Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction about Layer Cake and this is a good angle for Vaughn. The film isn’t shot in real time and at times can lose you slightly as it jumps about but he does it in a way that it only takes seconds to realise if something is happening in the past or the present. In fact Vaughn seems to have stamped his vision on the film in a way that perhaps Ritchie could have used for Snatch. He has teamed up with writer J.J. Connolly, who ...

Andy.mack 20.03.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

...surprising and unpredictable. Layer Cake takes itself a bit more seriously than Lock, Stock... and co which helps us relate more to the characters. That's not to say the film is po-faced: there's a lot of humour here, especially in the opening segment and the OTT antics of wannabe gangster The Duke. And, of course, liberal use of swear words delivered in a cockney voice always makes for easy laughs ("You bunch of sloppy wan-kahs!"). But the film ...
...that really needed?". Layer Cake is a very pleasant surprise - an intelligent, grown-up British crime film with a visual flair and some brilliant acting. Some may look down their noses at it based on the sort of film it is but it's their loss. No British crime film will ever be as good as The Long Good Friday but Layer Cake does a good job at taking the genre and proving it can still be used for good. But let's hope to God this doesn't inspire Rancid ...

ASimpleGoof 13.10.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

...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 ...
...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 ...

utero 03.01.2006 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

A nameless cocaine dealer who treats his merchandise like any other commodity and distances himself from the criminal underworld is about to retire. But he is called upon by a local gangland boss to find a missing girl. Then he gets involved in an ecstasy deal that brings him to the attention of a Serbian hit-man. Can he stick to his plan and get out before he gets killed? First-time director Matthew Vaughn previously produced “Lock, Stock and Two ...
...clearly felt in this slick but violent British gangster film; there’s the London setting, a snappy script, plenty of swearing, crosses and double-crosses, brutal implicit and explicit violence and an underlying misogyny that suggests that women are only good for one thing. Where it differentiates from Ritchie’s back-catalogue is in the origin of the script, the composition of the cast and the shooting style. The script was penned by JJ Connolly, ...

afy9mab 12.10.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

...CAK3 Introduction Layer Cake, released in 2004 is a British Gangster Movie. The film is based on a novel of the same name by J. J. Connolly. It is the 1st film directed by Matthew Vaughn, and the 5th produced. Cast Daniel Craig (The new James Bond) Tom Hardy (Black Hawk Down - Twombly) Jamie Foreman (Football Factory - Cabbie) Sally Hawkins Sienna Miller Burn Gorman Brinley Green George Harris Tamer Hassan Colm Meaney Marcel Iures Francis Magee ...
...deal. Messages The Layer Cake is a metaphor for different levels of British society according to Matthew Vaughn. "The movie's about showing how drugs are everywhere and it doesn't matter who or where you are, you're only one person away from drugs, scoring drugs or being involved with criminals. There's a speech at the end of the film where Temple uses Layer Cake as a metaphor for life and how you go up and up and up from one layer of the cake ...

djtmj 25.06.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

...them in order of watchability. Layer Cake came right at the top as I missed on the tele last month, and I was annoyed, so we decided to watch it last night, and I am glad that we decided to watch this one! Please note for the purposes of this review, I will call the main character X as he is never given a name in the film. The main story follows the life of an affulent drug dealer, X, who has both a proper job as an estate agent but is a drug dealer ...
...James Bond. His character in Layer Cake is not totally dissimilar to Bond, yet there are parts of the character which is opposite to Bond in every way! Craig acts with a real confidence in this film, and has a great gritty element to him. He is totally believable in this world of drug dealing, and even the narrative voice when he does a voice over at the beginning and the end is superb, he keeps you hooked! Other stars who stood out in the film ...

mummy2harry 26.08.2007 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

...of Lock Stock and Snatch producer Matthew Vaughn. DVD FEATURES: - alternative endings to the film - making of the layer cake - music videos - deleted scenes - photo gallery - theatrical trailer Runtime: 1hr 44mins Released: 1st October 2004 Certificate: 15 Awards: 8 nominations, 3 winners Thanks for reading x ...

beanie8844 07.08.2008 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

I think that film “Layer cake”, which suggests layers in British class society, is a British answer to Guy Ritchie’s “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels” and “Snatch”. And it proves just right, for a first-time director Matthew Vaughn [use to be producer]. And its imperatively shows G.Richie’s influence on British gangster film. A cocaine dealer wants to distances himself from the criminal underworld and to retire. But, one day, local gang boss ...
...girl. So, he gets involved with the drug deal, that brings him to the Serbian [how convenient] hit man. Can the man, who carefully plans his adventure, become a shiny knight and get out of it, before its too late? As the title suggests, the film relies on multi-perspective display to explain easily understandable twists and turns in the London setting, with a quick conversational script, swearing, double-crosses and brutal explicit violence. Maybe ...

barefoot777 28.03.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

...J J Connolly) **Introduction** Layer Cake is a film in the fine, if bloody, tradition of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Gone in 60 Seconds and Snatch In other words, it's about the criminal underworld and it has a high body count. Don't say you haven't been warned. The film is set in London and the opening shots are a sort of 'everything you wanted to know about cocaine', as we see drugs being packaged for sale and get a glimpse of the world ...
...looks like. Welcome to the layer cake, son' **Final word** I thoroughly enjoyed this film, as I have other trips into the criminal underworld. The acting is excellent. Daniel Craig, Michael Gambon and Jamie Foreman all shine in their roles. While I wouldn't rate it as highly as 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels', it's still an entertaining and riveting film. Although I rented the DVD, it's one I'd be tempted to buy and keep, as it's just over ...

rappinhood 28.07.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

LAYER CAKE marks the directorial debut of Mathew Vaughn, the producer of LOCK, STOCK, AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS and SNATCH, which is probably a statement that will either turn you on or off to the film completely. So if it's the case that you are now shaking your head in disgust, then I cant say I blame you really. The Cockney gangster thing is already getting old, but at least Vaughn has tried to stray away from the tone of the said Guy Ritchie films ...
...However LAYER CAKE does manage to conjure up a good time for the viewer despite not knowing if its trying to be realistic or a somewhat surreal trip that feels like you've just watched THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY after having disposed of your fifth two litre bottle of cider that night. The reason its a likeable tale is mainly thanks to two men, one of them being star Daniel Craig who oozes charisma and gives a great performance, which is especially impressive ...

moxon123 30.01.2006 (03.02.2006) · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

...debut with British gangster flick Layer Cake, an adaptation of J.J. Connolly's novel. Daniel Craig stars as "XXXX", who proclaims himself as a "businessman" rather than a gangster (he hates guns and prefers to keep a low profile). His original plan is to retire from the cocaine business for good, but before he can do that he must first search for his boss’s runaway junkie daughter and attempt to settle a massive drug deal gone badly wrong. As the ...
...you didn't know already). Layer Cake never really threatens to topple some of America's finest gangster flicks, but it never really attempts to. It has its own distinctive style: it's neither overly gory nor overly bleak; instead, it's memorable for its touches of intelligence and humour. It prefers the laid-back approach to the "smash-bang-wallop" approach, and although it won't stand out among the endless catalogue of hits in the same genre, you ...

andycarrington 11.08.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this film, I guess I thought it would be another brit style gangsta movie, like lock stock or snatch. It sort of is, but the difference between Layercake and the above films, is that it doesn't have that hollywood element to it. This is actually a good thing. It has the same type of plot as lock stock, but there is less comedy involved and the actors are much more believable as drug dealers. The basic plot ...
...is a drug dealer, well, a middle man really. He isn't your average down and out drug dealer but is a new breed of educated and almost straight middle man. He's in it for the money and doesn't want to get his hands dirty. Things happen and he ends up being screwed over by various people and has to get his hands dirty. Like lock stock, there are the various sub plots and characters which all interlink in some way in different times in the film. If ...

b4slapper 20.10.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

I just went to see this film last night and it was everything i was expecting having seen both Snatch and Lock, Stock. It is very much in the same mould as these two films with multiple characters and several sticky situations. The humour is based around the violence but still manages to raise a few chuckles. It stay a fresh formula though by being just plain good quality. It is a fast moving film though that keeps you on your toes and does so throughout. ...
...and all the trials and tribulations of dealing with a host of dodgy characters are played out in front of you. The main character xxxx (you never get to know his name) is hoping to gain enough money then swan off into a nice retirement to live in luxury. Things go badly wrong though when he is asked to do another job by his boss Jimmy. He needs to track down the bosses friends missing daughter and sell drugs that cockney gangster 'The Duke' has picked ...

fatsam21 08.10.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

...in a different light. Layer Cake trys to give an insight that British crime in this instance Drug Crimes. It shows the lead ( Daniel Craig ) who wants to retire from crime, as more of a business man than a gangster but as you watch the film it unfolds that crime doesn't have the same morals as a business would. From the start the gang are shown to be a slick operation that are professional and this is offset by the typical wideboy who thinks he ...
...some small time crooks reverberates to the criminal masterminds as such and how our main character will have to work his way through these layer to get out of the crime underworld. This film may not be as cool as Lock, Stock or Snatch but definetely worth a look. ...

fendertele 05.04.2005 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)

First, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Amazing... Second, Snatch. Unforgettable... Third, L4Y3R C4K3. Sheer Brilliance... I can't even begin to describe this film, without first congratulating Guy Ritchie on yet another stunner. The opening is pure Guy Ritchie, the lead character (who has no name as it turns out) setting the scene, him, a cocaine cutter, wanting to retire and get out of the underground. However, as usual, it turns out ...
...first thought. The plot is what sets this film apart from the rest, twists and turns, coincidences and accidents all affecting each other so all the characters end up in sticky situations all too often. The main difference between this film and the other two, is the focus on the main character, rather than jumping about showing the story from other perspectives as well. This works to the films advantage, associating the audience with the main character ...

wolfer 11.10.2004 · Read full review
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Review of Layer Cake (DVD)