Layer Cake
(Sony Pictures)

I have a thing for dark, British gangster films (The Long, Good Friday; Sexy Beast), so Layer Cake was particularly appealing (my Jewish heritage probably has something to do with it as well). I had reviewed Daniel Craig previously, in 2004’s Enduring Love and since then he’s been cast as the new James Bond, replacing Pierce Brosnan. Here, he plays an unnamed drug dealer who’s played the “game” by a strict set of self-imposed rules and is planning on retirement in the very near future. When his boss, Jimmy (Kenneth Cranham; Rome) asks him for a final favor he can’t refuse, he lands in the middle of a power play between senior mobsters, one of whom just might be trying to eliminate him. Craig is a commanding presence and should reassure anyone doubtful of whether or not he can fill 007’s patent leather shoes. With veteran character actors Colm Meany, George Harris and Michael Gambon chewing up their roles, you can’t go wrong with this hardboiled, plot-twisty, dialog-dense thriller. It’s witty, violent and cool. --David Bassin