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Layer Cake (2004)
Layer Cake (2004)
2004 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
7
7.4 (22 Ratings)
Movie Rating
British crime thriller. A highly professional and goal-oriented businessman in the drugs trade finds his well-organised life falling into chaos when he gets mixed up with stolen Ecstasy, Serbian war criminals and a missing heiress. Could he be forced to become something he despises - an actual gangster?

Looks a bit like a Guy Ritchie movie - and not without reason, for Matthew Vaughn produced the early Ritchie films - but the tone is (thankfully) more measured and serious. The plot is nothing very distinctive, although the subtext about Craig's character having to adopt the brutal methods of the people he encounters has some interest. Good performances from a strong cast; Michael Gambon is scary as a gang boss, but it's Daniel Craig's movie. This is apparently the performance that swung Bond for him, but the film deserves to be recognised on its own merits.
  
The Boys Volume 5: Herogasm
The Boys Volume 5: Herogasm
Garth Ennis | 2009 | Comics & Graphic Novels
6
7.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
A dip in quality
The 5th volume of The Boys sees the world's superheroes take time out, while pretending to be fighting an intergalactic war (similar to the secret invasion), and head off to a remote island for days of extreme sex, drugs and an awards ceremony. Herogasm being the name for this mini-festival of debauchery.
There are some smirks here, mainly aimed at the Fantastic 4, and what they might get up to in private, but the joke is a little laboured over the 6 issues.
I think a key learn for me is that if Darick Robertson didn't ink it, you can probably skip it (he seems to avoid the issues that are heavier on the sex). While there is a little about the corporate corruption and the 9/11 conspiracy, and a naughty attack by Black Noir, this story is somewhat throwaway.