Layer Cake (2004)
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A professional drug dealer in London attempts to retire from his criminal life while navigating a series of dangerous deals and betrayals.
The story
The protagonist XXXX is a London-based cocaine distributor who operates with the professionalism of a businessman and seeks to leave his criminal life behind. However, just as he prepares to retire, he is tasked by a mob boss with two specific assignments: locating a missing girl and overseeing the purchase of a million ecstasy tablets from a group of criminals. As he navigates these tasks, he becomes entangled in a web of conflicting interests involving various gangs, a vengeful group of Serbian war criminals, and a high-stakes betrayal by his own associates.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
XXXX, a professional London cocaine distributor, is tasked by mob boss Jimmy Price to find a missing girl named Charlie and oversee the purchase of one million ecstasy tablets from a man known as the Duke. The deal becomes complicated when it is revealed the pills were stolen from Serbian war criminals who have sent an assassin, Dragan, to reclaim them. During the process, XXXX discovers that Jimmy is an informant for the police. After assassinating Jimmy, XXXX faces a series of betrayals from various parties, including a wealthy crime lord named Eddie Temple. XXXX eventually orchestrates a complex series of maneuvers to secure the drugs and outmaneuver his rivals. He manages to deliver a peace offering to the Serbians and ultimately secures the drugs through a staged police raid. In the final act, he successfully sells the drugs and is offered a leadership role by his peers, which he declines to pursue his original goal of retirement. However, he is shot and left for dead by a jilted associate, Sidney, as he attempts to leave the life.
- First release year
- 2004
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Matthew Vaughn
- Writers
- J. J. Connolly · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Daniel Craig · XXXX; Colm Meaney; Sienna Miller; Michael Gambon; Tom Hardy; Ben Whishaw
- Genres
- crime thriller; crime drama; gangster; heist
- Themes
- criminal hierarchy; betrayal; professionalism vs. violence
- Tone and mood
- stylized; menacing; fast-paced
- Premise and plot tags
- crime; drug trade; underworld; heist
- Source material / true-story basis
- Novel by J. J. Connolly
- Reception
- The film received generally positive reviews from critics, described as a stylized and electric thriller.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 81%; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 30
- Awards and nominations
- Most Promising Newcomer · BAFTA Awards · 58th · nomination
- Production trivia
- The title refers to the social strata of the British criminal underworld.; Daniel Craig's role is often cited as a factor in his casting as James Bond.; The film features a soundtrack of 14 tracks.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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