The Under-Seen 2004 Crime Thriller That Got Daniel Craig Cast As James Bond

We here at /Film consider Daniel Craig to be the greatest James Bond of all. But when he was first cast in "Casino Royale," there was an uproar of complaints from people who thought they knew better than the filmmakers.

Granted, Craig is the one who looks the least like the other Bonds. They all shared the tall, dark, and handsome look of Sean Connery's original, truer-than-even-Ian-Fleming James Bond. Craig has the third feature, but he's of average height (5'10, or 178 cm for Bond's fellow Brits) and blond. He was also cast over a young Henry Cavill, who doesn't have Craig's acting chops but definitely looks more like the typical James Bond. So, why Craig? "Casino Royale" director Martin Campbell was impressed by his lead performance and "terrific charm" in 2004 crime thriller "Layer Cake."

In that film, Craig plays an unnamed cocaine dealer (XXXX); the title "Layer Cake" refers to the rungs of London's criminal underworld, and XXXX sits baked right into the middle. In an interview with GQ for the 20th anniversary of "Layer Cake," director Matthew Vaughn discussed how the movie became a showcase for Craig as a leading man.

"Daniel [had] obviously done movies, and I knew he was a great actor, but when I met Daniel, I was like, 'F***, you're a movie star. I'm gonna shoot you to show the world you're not just a great actor, you're Steve McQueen.'" 

While shooting a scene where Craig was handling a gun, Vaughn said he even told cinematographer Ben Davis, "[Craig would] make a good Bond." In some "Layer Cake" scenes XXXX even wears a suit just like Bond's, plus he can take a beating like any 007 needs to.

"Layer Cake" is not just a one-man-show for Daniel Craig, though. XXXX's street-smart squeeze Tammy (Sienna Miller) is the best Bond Girl we never had. I'll never forget the held shot of her club dancing, as alluring as a siren, and her thick Cockney accent makes her even sexier. Colm Meaney plays vicious Irish gangster Gene; those who only know him as Chief Miles O'Brien will be surprised by his range. A young Tom Hardy has a small role as Clarkie, XXXX's cocaine cook, while Ben Whishaw (the future Q to Craig's Bond) plays incompetent gangster wannabe Sidney.

Daniel Craig isn't the only one who walked away from "Layer Cake" with a kickstarted career, either; so did Vaughn. 

Before "Layer Cake," Vaughn was only a movie producer. The film was his directorial debut, and that's the path he's been on since. After the movie's success, he even had brief discussions to direct "Casino Royale." The Bond itch clearly hasn't left Vaughn, who's spent the last decade making spy thrillers in the "Kingsman" franchise. (Next to all the superhero and Bond movies, "Layer Cake" and Vaughn's second film, the live-action fairy tale "Stardust," stand out as unlike the rest.)

You can't talk about "Layer Cake" without talking about Guy Ritchie, Vaughn's former creative partner. He was not officially involved with the film, but it's clear that Vaughn's experience producing Ritchie's films is a key part of how he directed "Layer Cake."

Vaughn and Ritchie met in 1995 through a mutual friend. Ritchie had already written a script for his eventual debut, gangster flick "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels." Vaughn (who already fancied himself a movie producer) read the script, found it to be "the roughest diamond I'd ever come across," and worked with Ritchie to get it made. After many hurdles, they eventually succeeded and "Lock, Stock" premiered in 1998. In 2000, they produced/directed "Snatch," a spiritual sequel to "Lock, Stock." For Vaughn's next gangster picture, he sat down in the director's chair.

"Layer Cake" has the outline of a Ritchie crime movie, but it mostly lacks the puerile humor of them. The grainy texture and dingy lighting of "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch" makes them look almost homemade, while "Layer Cake" is sleek and clean; it has the golden sheen of Vaughn's later blockbusters like "X-Men: First Class." (Read our interview with Vaughn about his "First Class" experience here.)

Roger Ebert wrote that "Layer Cake" is more successful than Ritchie's gangster films "because it doesn't try so hard to be clever and tries harder to be menacing." Guy Ritchie wants to be Quentin Tarantino, while Matthew Vaughn (when making "Layer Cake" at least) wants to be Martin Scorsese. He throws the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" into the "Layer Cake" soundtrack, and it probably took all his restraint not to include "Sunshine Of Your Love" too.

So while "Layer Cake" is not a revolutionary film, it's a stylish and confident one; confidence strong enough for James Bond himself.