Layer Cake

[BGO Admin]

What a weird/disturbing movie.

Synopsis from Wikipedia (Note: Contains spoilers for movie):

Layer Cake (also spelled L4YER CAK3) is a 2004 British gangster thriller, directed by Matthew Vaughn. It is based on a novel of the same name by J. J. Connolly.

The title refers to the human social strata, especially in the British crime underworld, as well as the numerous plot layers in the film. "The Layer Cake is a metaphor for different levels of British society, whether it's the crime world or anything else", says director 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 and to the next."

Plot

The film centers around an unnamed cocaine dealer in the center of London played by Daniel Craig (known in the credits as XXXX). Craig's character has established a successful business buying, cutting and selling cocaine by using intelligence and self control to avoid the largesses and gangster behaviors associated with the business. Now having made his fortune through hard work and great care, he plans to retire from the drug industry for good.
Daniel Craig as the unnamed protagonist
Daniel Craig as the unnamed protagonist

However, XXXX's boss, Jimmy Price (Kenneth Cranham) sends him to track down the teenage daughter (Nathalie Lunghi) of his associate, Eddie Temple (Michael Gambon), who has fled a rehabilitation center with her drug addicted boyfriend. In reality, XXXX is being sent to kidnap the daughter in an attempt to force Temple to retrieve £13 million Price had invested in a mine operation near Timbuktu. However, as a Communist coup takes place in the country their investment becomes worthless and Price informs Temple he had invested most of his money in the venture. Temple's incredulous reaction makes Price believe he has been manipulated, and he plans to use Temples daughter as leverage to force Temple to get his money back. Price also orders the protagonist to broker and organize the purchase and distribution of 1 million ecstasy tablets from a flashy gangster named The Duke. The fact they had been stolen from a gang of Serbian war criminals feared throughout the criminal community (and left alive after the heist) is not mentioned at first. Price believes that either Temple's skilled mercenaries or a Serbian hitman connected to the gang will see the unnamed protagonist killed one way or another, and perhaps the return of his lost money.

More trouble ensues for the lead character when he finds out who Price really works for; XXXX's associate, Morty (George Harris) brutally retaliates against a former associate in a filled restaurant; part of the Duke's gang mysteriously disappears, and the ruthless Temple involves himself in the already bungled ecstasy deal.

In the last scene of the film, having escaped the drug world and its danger, XXXX is in the act of celebrating his escape when he is suddenly and unexpectedly shot on the front steps of the Country Club by the Duke's dim-witted nephew for stealing his girlfriend, Tammy (Sienna Miller), and the protagonist's fate is left ambiguous.

Cast
Actor    Role
Daniel Craig    XXXX
Colm Meaney    Gene McGuire
George Harris    Morty
Michael Gambon    Eddie Temple
Kenneth Cranham    James Lionel Price
Jamie Foreman    The Duke
Sally Hawkins    Slasher
Sienna Miller    Tammy
Tom Hardy    Clarkie
Nathalie Lunghi    Charlotte Spencer-Temple
Dexter Fletcher    Cody
Steve John Shepherd    Tiptoes
Tamer Hassan    Terry
Burn Gorman    Gazza
Ben Whishaw    Sidney
Steve Storey    Hoist Driver
Marcel Iureş    Slavo

And I swear, every single line of Gazza's contains the F word. 

[Melissa]

What a weird/disturbing movie.

Synopsis from Wikipedia (Note: Contains spoilers for movie):

And I swear, every single line of Gazza's contains the F word. 

In some cases, twice.  I really never liked the Brit-Gangster films at all so I sort of just looked up when Burn was on, to be honest. It's very strange seeing him with a sub machine-gun in each hand! Although it's another testiment to his versatility, because the character was really quite obnoxious, lol, nothing like his others that I've seen.

[Miss Tami]

I loved Layer Cake although its not my usual fare.  It's an interesting movie.

[BGO Admin]

I just thought it was really bizarre. 

I'm not into gangster movies at all, but I have to admit, If someone said tome "okay, British gangster movie or American?", I'd pick British.

[Gonzai]

I rented Layer Cake the other day, pretty much just for Burn. Gazza reminded me a lot of Owen Harper - a foul-mouthed little twerp    At least Owen has redeeming features; I think the only one Gazza had was a small degree of common sense, the only one in the Duke's gang who had any.

[Melissa]

I rented Layer Cake the other day, pretty much just for Burn. Gazza reminded me a lot of Owen Harper - a foul-mouthed little twerp    At least Owen has redeeming features; I think the only one Gazza had was a small degree of common sense, the only one in the Duke's gang who had any.

Gazza was perhaps Burn's least-likeable character, that I've seen so far.  He made S1 Owen look like a saint! But he still acted the socks off everyone else in a ten-mile radius, so it's all good. Bloomin' weird film, though . . .

[BGO Admin]

Gazza was perhaps Burn's least-likeable character, that I've seen so far.  He made S1 Owen look like a saint! But he still acted the socks off everyone else in a ten-mile radius, so it's all good. Bloomin' weird film, though . . .

Watch Colour Me Kubric, then talk to me about weird films....

[lildiamond]

I bought this film and watched it awhile ago and really enjoyed it. I know you will all think I am even more weird now but I like these sort of films.

he still acted the socks off everyone else in a ten-mile radius, so it's all good.

I agree, he was amazing in it as usual. He really is an incredible actor.

[Gonzai]

Just an FYI to anyone who hasn't seen it and lives in the States - Best Buy is selling Layer Cake this week for $3.99 

[Melissa]

Just an FYI to anyone who hasn't seen it and lives in the States - Best Buy is selling Layer Cake this week for $3.99 

Woah, that is cheap. Thanks for that!

[darknesshayz]

I havent watched this yet!  I might buy it if its cheap on play or amazon and watch it with my mum!

[lildiamond]

I havent watched this yet!  I might buy it if its cheap on play or amazon and watch it with my mum!

You won't be disappointed he is very good in it.

[Nadia09]

Seeing as I watched this last night.........

As far as gangster films go this was actually quite enjoyable. As a viewer I felt drawn into the storyline right from the start (heck any film that has The Cult's 'She Sells Sanctuary' practically in it's opening sequence has gotta be okay by me...many happy memories attatched to that song) Although we are never told the main protagonist's name or fate this is a likeable and interesting character whilst Gazza, although brilliantly acted, is by contrast a bit of a muppet. It's kinda like the very worst bits of Owen and unlike Owen we never get to see any redeeming features, always assuming that Gazza has any of course.

Still Burn gave a superb performance as always.

[Melissa]

I know what you mean about the lack of redeeming qualities, lol – Gazza is probably the best example of Burn's "obnoxious" guise (we see it at the beginning of Colour Me Kubrick, too). I'm not much of a gangster film type but it was really fine seeing such a contrast!