Layer Cake (2005)

Rising and Falling

By Jeffrey M. Anderson

Buy Layer Cake on DVD

Producer Matthew Vaughn (Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch) makes his directorial debut with this fun, snappy crime caper that begins with a wryly understated take on the "one-last-job-and-I'm-out" subgenre. Daniel Craig plays the nameless hero, a meticulous, low profile drug dealer who accidentally falls in with an unsavory crowd when he reluctantly agrees to track down a missing gangster's daughter in addition to unloading a pile of ecstasy. Michael Gambon and Colm Meany shine in two of many colorful supporting roles. Although Vaughn's directorial vision is less overtly stylish than originally slated director Guy Ritchie's, Vaughn balances the movie's many plotlines with his own crisp energy, as evidenced by the amazing scene involving Duran Duran's "Ordinary World" and a pot of hot tea.

Starring: Daniel Craig, Colm Meaney, Kenneth Cranham, George Harris, Jamie Foreman, Sienna Miller, Michael Gambon, Marcel Iures, Tom Hardy, Tamer Hassan, Ben Whishaw, Burn Gorman, Sally Hawkins
Written by: J.J. Connolly, based on his own novel
Directed by: Matthew Vaughn
MPAA Rating: R for strong brutal violence, sexuality, nudity, pervasive language and drug use
Running Time: 104 minutes
Date: May 20, 2005