Matthew Vaughn's debut feature Layer Cake, a taut, stylish British gangster film about the narcotics trade, made such an impression on Hollywood that, for a time, he was named the next director to helm the X-Men film series. Such is the directorial swagger that's on full display here—deft camera movements, fast pacing, creative cuts—as it follows Daniel Craig and the rest of a choice cast of scalawags. While some of the usual genre clichs are here, multiple plots and characters are expertly woven, creating a freshly baked feast of violence, desperation, and intrigue.

As producer of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch, and now Layer Cake, Vaughn has been instrumental in revitalizing the British gangster film as established by 1971's Get Carter and its ilk. So, if you like your tension thick and your gangsters ruthless, by all means—take a slice of Layer Cake. But if violent crime tales and thick British accents aren't your cup of tea, take a pass.

The cinematic tools that Vaughn uses are very nicely represented in the crisp 2.40:1 anamorphic transfer. However, the sound design comes off muddied: The music is too low in the mix, and the DVD doesn't fully utilize the Dolby Digital 5.1's potential. Special features include some pretty useless deleted scenes, some fairly interesting alternate endings, a well-done behind the scenes featurette, and the rare commentary that features both the screenwriter and director.

True, the story of Mr. X (Craig) and his attempt at a big score that will free him from the life forever is one of the oldest stories in filmmaking. But the way that this particular version is told makes the subject matter fresh again.