Just about everyone in this movie could walk out of it and have a decent movie built solely around them. With that said, I think there were a few too many characters. I know this is the whole point of the "layer cake" but I would have preferred that there be about one less guy at the top. Constantly trading up to bigger bosses deflected the focus from the peril. On moment a guy is the big cheese and the next he isn't. The dreaded Serbs aren't all they are cracked up to be, which was a real shame. Still, there are few films as slick as Layer Cake.

(Originally reviewed: 15/01/2017) Matthew Vaughn's directorial debut is a triumph, he has created a very good crime picture with just as much style as there is substance. Daniel Craig is terrific as a cocaine dealer with a simple but efficient way of doing business, alongside him (His associates) are Tom Hardy, George Harris and Colm Meaney, who are all really good here. The dialogue is fast, slick and fresh, as well as some rather impressive surprises along the way, this picture is rarely predictable, has a good sense of humour and is always engaging. I however wasn't over impressed with some of the female performances that were merely passable, this included Sienna Miller who is no more than Eye candy here, despite appearing extremely sexy in her black lingerie and stockings. Also I was unimpressed with the ending for which I will confidently admit, this picture just didn't know the right way to end.On the other hand I think Layer Cake is the kind of film best discovered by the person viewing it, the less you know about the story, the more pleasantly surprising it will be. Overall this is a smart, skillful gangster picture with a cool soundtrack (Stones: Gimme Shelter) and contains direction, writing and scenes that would make Martin Scorsese proud.

Layer cake is one of the old school gangster movies of which everybody is fond of.Daniel Craig's brilliant acting and Mike Gambon's steely tone surely strikes a nerve amongst the audience.Its a a type of movie you have to re-watch to understand it better.I myself had watch last 30 minutes twice again to get what really was happening.Lastly the teaser left at the very last of the film before Daniel Craig was shot "My name?If you knew that you would be as clever as me." Owing to fan theory surely it must be an anagram of the very movie name..."Layer Cake"which gives XXXX's name as Carey Lake or Lake Carey.But remember when all fan theories of the TV series Sherlock failed as to how Moriarty faked his death and then we came to know he is truly dead in season 4...maybe in this case too we are all wrongBut we all come to know about this when the layer cake sequel is released if ever.

I'm a big fan of Guy Ritchie's British gangster films LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS and, especially, SNATCH, so when I saw this Daniel Craig-starrer was directed by the guy who produced those two films, I thought I'd check it out. Sadly, LAYER CAKE is a dull and derivative piece of work that shows what happens when film-makers churn out familiar, predictable movies in a bid to cash-in on the perceived current popularity of the genre. It happened with Japanese long-haired ghost girl movies, and it happened with British gangster movies. LAYER CAKE contains absolutely nothing we haven't seen before and it's a case of style over substance. Ritchie's films provide a liberal inspiration, as does Tarantino's PULP FICTION, but the difference is that LAYER CAKE has no heart and the style ain't that great, either.Things begin on a bad foot with some truly atrocious comedy from some 'chav'-type gangsters and after a while the story begins for real. Basically, it involves Daniel Craig and his criminal buddies getting involved with stolen drugs and rival gangsters, and it all gets very complicated and not very interesting. This might well have been the reason Craig became Bond, because his acting's great and the best thing in this film, but his character is unlikeable and doesn't get a chance to be developed enough. Elsewhere, the supporting actors seem to be just going through the ropes: Michael Gambon and Kenneth Cranham as older generation gangsters, Colm Meaney as yet ANOTHER shouty-sweary-sweaty guy (basically THE SAME as the character he played in CON AIR), Sienna Miller as a dumb bimbo and others besides.Granted, the film does have a few stand-out moments of genuine goodness; the sniper scene is one of these. There are some other memorable moments, usually the violent bits, a couple involving hot tea and an iron, but these are mere minutes in what seems like a very long film. The 'twist' ending is ripped straight out of CARLITO'S WAY and really was the final insult for this viewer. LAYER CAKE is a dumb, wannabe film and fans of the genre should stick with SNATCH.