Layer Cake

The third star (that puts the film a bit above-par) is because it’s the début of a director that thrilled me with his other films, otherwise, Layer Cake disappointed me and I would give it five out of ten points. What to do with a film that doesn’t take itself seriously, but it’s not funny? (07/14/2011)

A modern gangster film with a decent cast and an interesting screenplay that includes a whole range of motifs and twists. Following the traditional British model, the film is literally overwhelmed with characters, making it difficult to keep track of them at first. It lacks the humor and exaggeration that, in my opinion, belong at the top levels, such as Guy Ritchie's early films. Overall impression: 80%. (11/19/2009)

The resemblance to Ritchie is palpable, but that doesn't matter. The important thing is that Matthew Vaughn can also make great films, and his debut is not just a mindless ripoff of a more famous colleague, but a very entertaining, imaginative and original crime film, of which there are never enough. It's true that all the twists and turns and plots aren't perfect and on point, but thanks to the excellent cast, the music and the almost "Ritchie-esque" direction, any ambiguities are squashed far into the background where they don't bother anyone too much. I had more than a pretty good time, I enjoyed Tom Hardy in a smaller role and Daniel Craig once again confirms that he really deserved the role of Bond as an actor. 8/10 (10/30/2012)

Having seen Stardust (and been captivated by it) and most recently Kick-Ass (which captivated me even more), I decided to give Matthew Vaughn's work a go and got his first feature film to take home as well. Layer Cake is certainly a well made gangster flick with the more than good Daniel Craig in the lead role, and while it doesn't quite achieve the same "grit" as, say, Snatch, it comes across as wholesome and likeable and provides what it should in terms of genre. 80% (06/17/2010)

Superb. Vaughn is talented and serves up this great genre piece excellently. Camera tricks, great music, focus on actors... Today these are the creme de la creme of British actors and you can see that Craig put a lot of Mr. Into Bond. The story is well-thought through, has some surprises in store and, most importantly, it’s entertaining. (07/28/2013)