DVD REVIEWS: Layer Cake

Universal
Movie •••½ Picture/Sound •••½ Extras •••½
In this sleek and stylish crime thriller, producer-turned-director Matthew Vaughn succeeds where similar movies failed (think Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, both of which Vaughn produced). He does so by focusing on the serpentine plot - not on hip cultural references or garish violence. And it doesn't hurt to have up-and-comer Daniel Craig in the lead role of a cagey British drug dealer struggling to quit the business. Craig's low-key cool will soon have you involved in the drama; it's no surprise that rumor has him as the top candidate to be the new James Bond. Vaughn's aggressive visual style is well served by the crisp and detailed images, which are nicely balanced by a subdued yet effective 5.1-channel mix. Plentiful extras include a commentary by Vaughn and novelist/screenwriter J.J. Connolly, 14 deleted scenes, featurettes, interview footage, and two alternate endings - one of which beats the film's finale hands down. [R] English, Dolby Digital 5.1; French, Dolby Surround; letterboxed (2.35:1) and anamorphic widescreen; dual layer.

X