Originally slated to be directed by Guy Ritchie, Matthew Vaughn's feature debut retains its expected feel despite its change of director. 'Layer Cake (2004)' is the typical slightly twisty, stylishly achieved, fast-and-loose London gangster flick that you'd expect from the former director, but it's somewhat of an oddity coming from the latter. It doesn't really feel like a film from the twisted mind of the man behind 'Argylle (2024)'. However, it has all the hallmarks that would come to define his career, chief among them a confident sense of style that permeates the entire experience. There are a lot of unconventional choices being made within a fairly conventional framework and it's all rather fun to see. The narrative is occasionally somewhat confusing, centred around a series of reveals mostly conveyed by people talking about other people whose names we haven't quite put to their faces by the time they depart the piece for good. It's not incomprehensible, though, and it certainly all makes sense. It's always entertaining, often surprisingly so, and it isn't negatively affected by its occasionally obscured storytelling. It helps that the flick moves at a zippy pace and constantly strikes the right balance between sincerity and self-awareness. It also helps that its cast are all really enjoyable in their roles, no matter how small those roles may be. The movie is reportedly what landed Daniel Craig his signature part of James Bond, and it's easy to see how his proficiency in portraying a suave, suit-wearing drug dealer would prove that he could portray a suave, suit-wearing secret agent. He gives a strong central performance that balances cool with can't catch a break, and he rises above the sometimes monotonous delivery of his narration with some stand-out moments that bring more humanity to his constantly calculating character. Colm Meany, George Harris and Michael Gambon are the highlights of the supporting cast, but you can't discount the one-step-above cameos of Sally Hawkins, Dexter Fletcher, Tom Hardy, Sienna Miller, Ben Whishaw and Burn Gorman. Ultimately, although it starts to stall a little towards the end of its second act and it sometimes tries to be too clever for its own good, this is an entertaining crime drama that's visually interesting and nicely acted. Its ending is also subversive in all the right ways. It's a really solid effort.
Review of Layer Cake
