Review of SNATCH

Become a fan on Facebook Follow on Twitter

Review by Mark Dujsik

I think Guy Ritchie can only make one kind of movie. His newest film Snatch is basically a rehash of his previous Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels. He’s lucky that both these movies are very entertaining. In truth, it is impossible to comment on Snatch without comparing it to Ritchie’s previous film. I enjoyed Lock, Stock but felt empty at the end of the movie. I didn’t know what had happened, and I felt cheated. Snatch is definitely more successful but just as entertaining.

Ritchie has created a seedy London underworld in these two films that mixes the mob with Looney Tunes. It’s a bizarre combination, and Ritchie has obviously put a lot of thought into his creation. I don’t know if Ritchie has ties to this underworld, but on instinct, I would say no. I doubt these people could exist in real life; their existence would perplex the most enlightened philosopher. However, I am grateful Ritchie has brought them to the screen to weave in and out of each other’s lives and entertain those lucky enough to watch them.

Any attempt to summarize the plot is set to fail. Like Lock, Stock, Snatch is full of twists and turns, and unless you just give yourself into the movie’s story, you’ll be lost. Basically, the plot follows an 86-karat diamond as it exchanges owners. They include people with names like Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro), Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones), Boris the Blade (Rade Serbedzija), and many more. There’s also a gypsy boxer named Mickey who no one can understand. Brad Pitt plays Mickey, and he steals every scene he’s in. Dennis Farina is another stand-out as Cousin Avi; it’s his best work since Get Shorty. Also worth mentioning is a squeaking dog who also has a knack for stealing scenes.

How these characters’ stories intertwine and their ultimate destiny at the hands of fate provide the best moments of the movie. We appreciate Ritchie’s audacity to let the most absurd things happen, and we stare in disbelief with the characters when they do.

Ritchie knows exactly what he’s doing, and it’s a treat to be hit by all the surprises he has in store for us. The movie has many big laughs, and all the actors seem to be having a lot of fun with their eccentric characters. The dialogue shines, and the story, no matter how confusing, never gets boring. This is mostly because the movie has style and energy to spare, and Ritchie is completely in command of his script.

Snatch surpasses Lock, Stock in one significant way. By the end of the movie, I actually understood what had transpired in the events before. I couldn’t explain exactly what happens, and if I could, I wouldn’t. It’s too much fun to get there on your own.

Back to Home