Layer Cake is an outstanding, pulse-pounding British crime thriller from Snatch and Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels producer Matthew Vaughn. And while this is his directorial debut, this excellent movie would have you believe he's been directing features for years.

Like the desert that gives this movie it's title, this intricate caper has many layers, so many in fact that I'm not going to go into too much depth for fear that I might give away one of the many pleasures that await you - should you decide (and you should) to see the movie. I will say that Layer Cake features Daniel Craig (Road to Perdition) as XXXX (not to be confused with Ice Cube's XXX), a likable drug dealer hoping to give up his life of crime. Of course, as is often the case in this genre, every time he tries to leave, he gets pulled back in. Following an assignment given to him by someone higher up on the food chain, XXXX finds that things are never as they seem, and soon he and his loyal partners in crime, find themselves involved in one double cross after the next.

It is clear that Matthew Vaughn was somewhat inspired by his hyper kinetic buddy Guy Ritchie, as Layer Cake (which is actually based on a novel by J.J. Connolly) has imagery and plot elements that recall similar moments in the Snatch helmer's work. However, I have to confess that I actually prefer Vaughn as a film maker because his first effort isn't so much a case of style over substance. Sure, there is plenty of flash to be found in Layer Cake, and the way the film doubles back, adding weight to scenes that didn't initially feel complete might appear gimmicky, but ultimately, this film has much greater depth. There's a lot going on here, and Vaughn is so sure handed in his approach, that the moments of visual bravado are just the icing on the cake. He juggles these numerous characters and various subplots with effortless ease, and this is really why the movie soars.

Daniel Craig is outstanding in this film, and while American audiences have had brief glimpses of him before (some might remember him as Paul Newman's loose cannon of a son in Road to Perdition, or Gwyneth Paltrow's husband in Sylvia?), this is clearly his break out role. What can I say? His XXXX is simply cool. He's so effective, that it's almost enough to make you want to run out and become a gangster - almost. Hopefully his suave and graceful work in Layer Cake will lead to more higher profile roles. It almost landed him the James Bond gig (there's a great shot in the film when XXXX gives a Bond style pose - it's classic), but apparently, that has since fallen through.

As great as Craig is, he is surrounded by equally impressive talent, most notably Colm Meaney who's absolutely terrific as one of XXXX's partners, and a wonderfully grizzled Michael Gambon who hits all the right notes as an aging gangster. The picture perfect cast is absolutely vital in the success of this picture as a keen sense of timing plays an important role in this multi-layered film..

This is a violent, but highly energetic film. While it has shades of the numerous crime thrillers that came before it (think Goodfellas, Get Carter etc.), it has a lively soul all it's own. What's more, it has balls to boot. This movie is completely unpredictable, right up to the "Holy Shit! I can't believe they did that!" ending.

Matthew Vaughn is the real deal and it's a damn shame that Fox couldn't pursuede him to stay on X-Men 3, because he certainly could have done something interesting with that franchise. Still, I can't wait to see what he does next.

Layer Cake emerges as a much more accomplished work than the entertaining but hollow titles on Guy Ritchie's resume. Well, with the possible exception of that masterpiece Swept Away. For those of you new to the site, YES! I AM JUST KIDDING!