Daniel Craig wasn’t a household name before he was cast as James Bond, but one stylish crime thriller was enough to land him the role of 007. Craig started his film career with a supporting role in the 1992 drama The Power of One. He accrued some success with movies like Road to Perdition and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, but he was hardly an A-list star.
As more details start to emerge about the next James Bond movie, the identity of the next star is still a big mystery. There’s been plenty of speculation since No Time to Die, but nothing has been confirmed. Perhaps it’s worth remembering the story behind Craig’s casting.
Given the way that Craig landed the role of James Bond, many of the frontrunners being touted for Bond 26 could be way off base. Although the franchise is entering an uncertain new era, Amazon may seek to learn from the success of Casino Royale. A less recognizable star might be the best choice, especially if they have at least one great performance in the bank like Craig did at the time.
Layer Cake Was The Perfect Audition For The Role Of James Bond
The Quirky Crime Thriller Showcases Craig’s Suave On-Screen Charms
Layer Cake is a crime thriller with an unshakable sense of style, and Daniel Craig is a key element to its allure. He plays a mysterious criminal listed in the credits as XXXX with a master plan to achieve one final score and leave the drug trade behind for good. Craig’s narration provides a glimpse into his character’s mind.
Layer Cake remains one of Daniel Craig’s best movies, and one of his most charismatic performances too. It’s easy to see why he was soon cast as 007, because Layer Cake offers a volatile mix of crime and action, but Craig keeps his cool while bringing the right level of intensity.
Craig is fascinating as an intelligent, clinical operator in London’s criminal underworld, but it’s one thing to be a prescient analyst and another thing to know how to deal with the unpredictable nature of violent thugs. For all his cunning, XXXX can never be quite sure how his enemies and allies are about to act.
Continuing in the vein of many other British gangster movies, Layer Cake dives into a society filled with shady eccentrics, each colliding and colluding with one another in surprising ways. Craig often sits in the eye of the storm, reluctant to indulge in full-blown violence unless absolutely necessary, but determined to come out on top.
The title Layer Cake refers to the structured class system in British society, but this takes on new meaning as it relates to the volatile criminal culture XXXX lives in. It has a lot to say about class and status, even if such notions can quickly fall apart under the threat of violence.
Layer Cake Also Helped Launch Some Other Hollywood Stars
Craig Wasn’t The Only New Star To Emerge From Layer Cake
Layer Cake is also notable as Matthew Vaughn’s directorial debut. He clearly learned a lot from producing Snatch and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, but Layer Cake ditches Guy Ritchie’s warm, fun-loving style in favor of something much more menacing and hard-hitting.
Vaughn has gone on to achieve success with movies like Kick-Ass and X-Men: First Class, as well as the Kingsman franchise. Starting with 2014’s The Secret Service, the Kingsman movies show that Vaughn is clearly a fan of 007, so perhaps Craig’s lethal but charming character in Layer Cake owes some inspiration to Bond.
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How Long The Next James Bond Actor Casting Is Taking Compared To Every Previous 007
It’s been an unprecedented six years since Daniel Craig announced his departure from James Bond, which is longer than any actor who preceded him.
As well as giving Craig and Vaughn a boost on their paths to Hollywood stardom, Layer Cake is one of Tom Hardy’s early hits. Hardy has since made a name for himself in the crime genre, with movies like Bronson, Legend and The Bikeriders, but Layer Cake offers something a bit different for his fans to admire.
Hardy is arguably Britain’s most influential leading man in Hollywood right now. Having left the Venom franchise in the rear-view mirror, he seems to be free to pick and choose the projects which appeal to him. He’s always been drawn to interesting roles, so another inventive crime thriller like Layer Cake could be a shrewd move.
Layer Cake
- Release Date
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June 3, 2005
- Runtime
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105 Minutes
- Director
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Matthew Vaughn
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Daniel Craig Sienna Miller
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