Layer Caker (2004)

Layer Cake is an ingenious crime drama with layers of complexity that lifts it out of the regular standard crime drama scenario. Matthew Vaughn directs from a script by J.J. Connolly who wrote the novel also. It stars Daniel Craig as XXXX. Yes that's right Craig's character has no name. The name is never mentioned, and in the end it is suppose to mean something to us as the author uses irony to eventually show us the characters downfall.

I had no problem with this film. It is complex and a bit hard to understand due to the accents, but it did feel very authentic. Daniel Craig does an outstanding performance as a cocaine drug dealer who we sort of like, and that's the beauty of this movie. Who would think or even care about a character like XXXX, but we do. Colm Meaney is also in this film, and he does a great job as a guy with both shoes in the criminal an the legit world. George Harris as Morty also gives an interesting performance that is quite believable, and that's why the film works. It's believable, and the characters make it come to life. With names like Duke, Gaza, Angelo, Jimmy, & Kinky we the audience buy what the filmmaker is showing us.

As with any crime drama "Layer Cake" has a lot of double and triple crosses. You need to be paying attention, and somehow you do because Vaughn does such a great job at making us believe in this world.

Even at the end I was left guessing at what would be the end. Any movie that can do that has my respect, and my admiration.