Watch Layer Cake

Layer Cake is a 2004 British crime thriller movie directed by Matthew Vaughn and starring Daniel Craig, Sienna Miller, and Michael Gambon. The movie is based on the novel of the same name by J. J. Connolly, who also worked on the screenplay. The story follows Craig's character, a nameless cocaine dealer who goes by the pseudonym "XXXX". He is a successful and respected businessman in the criminal underworld, with aspirations to retire early and enjoy the spoils of his labor. However, when he is tasked with locating the missing daughter of his boss, Jimmy Price (Gambon), things take a turn for the worse. He finds himself embroiled in a complex web of double-crosses and betrayals, with danger lurking around every corner.

The film takes place over the course of a week, with XXXX juggling a multitude of problems at once. On top of his search for the missing girl, he is desperately trying to close a large drug deal with a group of dangerous Serbian gangsters. This proves to be difficult, as a rival gangster named Eddie Temple (Michael Gambon) has his sights set on the same drugs. Meanwhile, XXXX also finds himself trying to avoid the wrath of a violent young thug named Duke (Jamie Foreman), who is out for revenge after being wronged by him in the past.

As the stakes get higher and the danger mounts, XXXX faces difficult choices and must rely on all of his cunning and street smarts to stay alive. He is aided by his protege, a young man named Morty (George Harris), who he has been grooming to take over the business. He also forms an unlikely alliance with the seductive but mysterious Tammy (Sienna Miller), who seems to have her own agenda in the criminal underworld.

Layer Cake is a stylish and suspenseful thriller, with expertly choreographed action sequences and a complex, multi-layered plot. It is also notable for its strong performances, particularly from Craig in the lead role. This movie is often considered a precursor to his later, more famous role as James Bond. It is also praised for its sharp dialogue and witty humor, despite the grim subject matter.

Director Matthew Vaughn, who went on to direct successful comic book adaptations like Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class, imbues the movie with a distinct visual style. The cinematography is slick and stylish, with a cool color palette and inventive camera angles. The soundtrack, which features a mix of classic and contemporary music, also adds to the movie's energetic vibe.

Overall, Layer Cake is an entertaining and engaging crime thriller, with enough twists and turns to keep audiences guessing until the very end. It is a masterful example of the genre, and a worthy addition to any thriller fan's movie collection.

Layer Cake is a 2004 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 45 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3 and a MetaScore of 73.