The title is a reference to the layered nature of the criminal underworld, and indeed, the world itself. As Eddie Temple explains "You're born, you take shit. You get out in the world, you take more shit. You climb a little higher, you take less shit. Till one day you're up in the rarefied atmosphere and you've forgotten what shit even looks like. Welcome to the layer cake son. " No matter how powerful and important someone thinks they are there is always someone more powerful and important. The Duke thinks of himself as a powerful and important man, as evidenced by his name, yet he's a nobody compared to XXXX. Even XXXX himself is less important and powerful than a man like Jimmy Price who is, in turn, less important and powerful than Eddie Temple. In the end, when XXXX is referred to as the new "King" after Temple was dead, he walks out the door and is shot; there is always someone, or in this case, something more powerful. Also as another note, in the final scene at the country club, the 5 men are eating cake, a Layer Cake.
... XXXX gives his opening narration? "Hayling" by FC Kahuna.
... the opening credits play (XXXX and Morty drive to country club)? "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult.
... Tiptoes and Cody chat up American girls in club? "Tits On The Radio" by Scissor Sisters.
... XXXX meets Sidney and Tammy? "Can't Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head" by Kylie Minogue and New Order.
... XXXX ignores Sidney talking and watches Tammy dance? "You Got The Love" by The Source featuring Candi Staton.
... XXXX, Morty, Clarkie, and Terry drive to the boatyard? "Drive To Boatyard" by Ila Eshkeri.
... Morty beats Freddie Hurst in the restaurant and The Duke is killed? "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran.
... Tammy meets XXXX at the hotel? "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones.
... XXXX kills Jimmy Price? "Ruthless Gravity" by Craig Armstrong.
... XXXX tries to call Tammy? "Four To The Floor (Soulsavers Mix)" by Starsailor.
... XXXX is shot by Sidney outside the country club? "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Joe Cocker.
... the opening credits play (XXXX and Morty drive to country club)? "She Sells Sanctuary" by The Cult.
... Tiptoes and Cody chat up American girls in club? "Tits On The Radio" by Scissor Sisters.
... XXXX meets Sidney and Tammy? "Can't Get Blue Monday Out Of My Head" by Kylie Minogue and New Order.
... XXXX ignores Sidney talking and watches Tammy dance? "You Got The Love" by The Source featuring Candi Staton.
... XXXX, Morty, Clarkie, and Terry drive to the boatyard? "Drive To Boatyard" by Ila Eshkeri.
... Morty beats Freddie Hurst in the restaurant and The Duke is killed? "Ordinary World" by Duran Duran.
... Tammy meets XXXX at the hotel? "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones.
... XXXX kills Jimmy Price? "Ruthless Gravity" by Craig Armstrong.
... XXXX tries to call Tammy? "Four To The Floor (Soulsavers Mix)" by Starsailor.
... XXXX is shot by Sidney outside the country club? "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" by Joe Cocker.
No. Some viewers assume that Layer Cake is an anagram for his name. Others believe that the x's stand for the number of letters in his name (4). But we never really find out.
The Serbs think the British police took the pills during the raid, but apparently the police were fake. They then sold the pills to XXXX, so he could deliver them to Eddie Temple, whose men were killed by Shanks and Trevor. Shanks and Trevor then paid XXXX the money.
So in the end: Shanks and Trevor have the pills.
Although in the deleted scenes it is shown that Tiptoes and Cody were real cops, and really "crooked" cops at that; id est discovering 7 kilos of cocaine during a raid and turning over to evidence only 3 kilos. During the debriefing with Gene after the police raid seizing the ecstasy, XXXX realises that these are two cops with whom they can "deal" and he and Gene make the decision to buy back the pills from this crooked pair. So XXXX got the Serb off his back, not through subterfuge but by luck really. He also takes care of Eddie Temple and his muscle, he keeps Gene happy (as the proceeds contribute to his "retirement fund"), and he keeps his original buyers, Northerners Shanks and Trevor, happy (also happy because they were able to "shoot 'em up" like in the good ol' days).
On an interesting note, the director is a big fan of Michael Mann's Heat, where a drug-money-laundering banker, a "player," attempts to buy back bonds stolen from him by De Niro's gang. So the dirty banker would collect 100% of the bonds' value from insurance and then buys them back for $0.40 on the dollar.
So in the end: Shanks and Trevor have the pills.
Although in the deleted scenes it is shown that Tiptoes and Cody were real cops, and really "crooked" cops at that; id est discovering 7 kilos of cocaine during a raid and turning over to evidence only 3 kilos. During the debriefing with Gene after the police raid seizing the ecstasy, XXXX realises that these are two cops with whom they can "deal" and he and Gene make the decision to buy back the pills from this crooked pair. So XXXX got the Serb off his back, not through subterfuge but by luck really. He also takes care of Eddie Temple and his muscle, he keeps Gene happy (as the proceeds contribute to his "retirement fund"), and he keeps his original buyers, Northerners Shanks and Trevor, happy (also happy because they were able to "shoot 'em up" like in the good ol' days).
On an interesting note, the director is a big fan of Michael Mann's Heat, where a drug-money-laundering banker, a "player," attempts to buy back bonds stolen from him by De Niro's gang. So the dirty banker would collect 100% of the bonds' value from insurance and then buys them back for $0.40 on the dollar.
Unknown, both are criminals called Cody who drive yellow Range Rovers and both films have the same director.
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