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LAYER CAKE (2005) (***1/2)

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Matthew Vaughn, producer of LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS and SNATCH, makes his directorial debut with this gangster tale, which has more in common with GOODFELLAS than the stylishly hip films he produced with director Guy Ritchie.

The film is narrated by an unnamed gangster, who in the credits is referred to as XXXX. The character is played by Daniel Craig (ENDURING LOVE), who is quickly building an A-list resume of solid work. He’s a drug dealer who likes to keep his operations hush-hush and wants to retire. He works for vulgar loudmouth Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham, GANGSTER NO. 1), who tells XXXX that the reason guys like him don’t ever get out of the business is because they make too much money for guys like himself. That doesn’t bode well for an early retirement.

Jimmy asks XXXX to do a special job for him — hunt down a strung out young girl named Charlie (Nathalie Lunghi). In the meantime, XXXX has to deal with a loose cannon named the Duke (Jamie Foreman, I’LL SLEEP WHEN I’M DEAD) about buying a million tabs of E, which the Duke stole from another dealer. The other complications of the plot are too numerous to detail here, but let’s just say things get awfully rough for XXXX.

Vaughn moves the action at a brisk pace and is in totally control of the story, which twists and weaves and leaves you unsure where it’s going next. Vaughn doesn’t attempt to copy Ritchie’s over-the-top style and focuses on character. In many ways, LAYER CAKE is better than LOCK, STOCK & TWO SMOKING BARRELS and SNATCH.

The performances are all solid. The cast also includes Michael Gambon (HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN) as a veteran gangster, Colm Meaney (INTERMISSION) as Jimmy’s enforcer, George Harris (RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK) as XXXX’s right hand man and Sienna Miller (2004’s ALFIE) as the girl XXXX desperately wants to hook up with. Being a gangster is a tough and dangerous business no matter how smart you think you are.

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Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks