Review of Layer Cake (2004) by Joseph W — 05 Apr 2013
The best British gangster film since 'Lock Stock'. Im a massive Bond fan but this is my favourite Daniel Craig film. The director Matthew Vaughn has moved onto bigger and better things by blockbuster mass audience standards but in my opinion this is his finest work.
The films strongest asset is its magnificent supporting cast which parallels the standards of Guy Ritchie's 'Lock Stock' and 'Snatch'. Some of the roles are so minor and screen time is minimal, but the performances are so memorable.
George Harris and Michael Gambon are the stand outs. Added to the line up is Tom Hardy, Ben Wishaw, Burn Gorman, Jamie Foreman, Kenneth Cranham, Stephen John Sheppard, Stephen Walters and although I can't stand him in anything else, in this case the list has to include Colm Meaney.
This list of who's who goes on and on with the usual suspects Jason Flemyng, Dexter Fletcher and Tamer Hassan cropping up. Sienna Miller steals the show with her memorable lingerie scene. As Jeremy Clarkson says on Topgear when interviewing Sienna Miller, "everyone remembers that scene".
To conclude the master class of acting talent, the final say has to go to Liverpudlian Louis Emerick whom I haven't seen on screen since soap opera Brookside was on television. Another stroke of casting genius.
The cast is brilliant. The cinematography is brilliant. The set pieces are brilliant. The soundtrack is brilliant featuring songs such as Rolling Stones 'Gimme' Shelter' and The Cult 'She Sells Sanctuary'.
The yellow Range Rover is brilliant. Layer Cake is brilliant.
This review of Layer Cake (2004) was written by Joseph W on 05 Apr 2013.
Layer Cake has generally received very positive reviews.
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