Snatch (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: Titles are overrated
Review: If, as currently seems possible, Guy Ritchie's career as a director of unconventional British crime movies has come to a premature conclusion, it's truly a great loss for the film world. In his first two movies, Ritchie created a pair of classics that effectively mixed action, comedy, and intrigue with a flair the likes of which you'll rarely find. With Snatch, he succeeded for the second time at crafting a gangster flick filled with colorful characters and bizarre happenings and managing to be rather original in the process. Sure, fans of Quentin Tarantino will recognize the disjointed time frame, violent excess and general amorality present in Ritchie's films, but Ritchie outdoes his American counterpart in his committment to lightning-fast pacing and outrageous humor. This guy is truly a visual stylist of the highest order.

Like its predecessor, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, Snatch concerns gangsters and thievery in the less reputable sections of London, and like its predecessor Snatch is a hyperactive roller coaster ride of a movie that replaces the deep gravity of such old-time gangster flicks as the Godfather with Ritchie's stylized violence and offbeat characterizations. Right from the opening scene, when a gang led by the aptly named Franky Four Fingers stages a daring jewelry heist while dressed as a group of Hasidic Jews, this movie offers the promise of something different, and it more than delivers. For most of its running time Snatch borders on sheer sensory overload, with Ritchie's camera cutting constantly and the laughs coming as fast as the bodies pile up. Bullets, fists, and profanities all fly as a seemingly endless number of plot strands come together, leading up to a blood-soaked finale that makes the conclusion of a John Woo movie seem almost tame by comparison.

Despite everything I've written above, it's really the dialogue and characterization that elevate Snatch above the crime-movie plain. This movie doesn't just show you a bunch of colorful criminal types, it actually manages to make you like some of them, although maybe not always for the best reasons. Here Ritchie assembled an extremely diverse ensemble cast, and it's one filled with memorable and perfectly portrayed figures ranging from a shady unlicensed boxing promoter to a legendary thug with two bullets for teeth to a local mob kingpin with a highly unusual method of disposing of victims. Of course, it's the surprise casting of Brad Pitt that raised a lot of eyebrows when this movie came out, and with good reason. Pitt strays far from his typical fare with his portrayal of a fast-talking gypsy boxing champ, but he's note-perfect in his role, right down to his semi-intelligible accent. Ever since I watched Seven and Fight Club years ago, I've thought Pitt was an excellent character actor who just happened to be a star, and this movie only served to confirm that impression. Vinnie Jones is once again brilliant as well in his role as Bullet Tooth Tony, even if his calm-and-collected-one-minute-raving-lunatic-the-next role isn't much of a stretch from his work in Lock, Stock.

Throughout its relatively brief running time, Snatch never lets up its frenetic pace, ensuring that even those possessed of the shortest attention spans won't wind up bored. Now, as many have noted, Snatch isn't much of a depature from Ritchie's first film, right down to the repeated casting of Jason Statham in a leading role. That fact notwithstanding, though, there's something to be said for staying in the same niche, especially when that niche isn't exactly being filled by too many other people at the moment. Anyone who can churn out such distinctive and entertaining movies should be welcomed, regardless of such piddling complaints as repetitiveness. Now, where's the third movie?





Rating:
Summary: Guy Ritchie is the Tarantino of the UK.
Review: Words can't exactly describe this film so perhaps this will sum it up: cockney criminals, underground boxing, and a big juicy diamond.
Vinnie Jones & (the incredible) Jason Statham from "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels" return and Hollywood top dogs Benicio Del Toro & Brad Pitt join the cast. Pitt (who once again is swinging his fists as he did in "Fight Club") is hysterical as Mickey the mumbling Irish gypsy. Word to the wise: before starting the movie, go to the subtitle options and select "Pikey, what did you say" so you can understand what Pitt is saying through his jumbled speech.
"Smoking Barrels" was great but "Snatch" blows that movie out of the water. It has more action, more humor, a surprise ending and of course, a terrific cast. I love watching British crime & caper/action films and "Snatch" is one of the best to cross the pond.


Rating:
Summary: British Gangster Film At Its Finest
Review: _Snatch_ is a hard-hitting, fast-paced, fun film. From the opening of the film, where we are introduced to the gigantic cast of misfits (each with hilarious nicknames and wonderful rich personas), _Snatch_ takes the audience on an incredibly entertaining and hilarious adventure that is a delight to watch. While many have criticized the film for being a copy of _Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels_, or a sequel to that film, I would argue that it is exactly what we wanted. While I would love to see Guy Ritchie extend himself beyond his current scope, I think that he does what he does really well. I loved his first film and I loved _Snatch_. At the end of the day, a good cockney gangster film is still a good film. Period.

_Snatch_ is a success because of its characters, many of whom I would love to see explored further in other films-Brad Pitt's performance as an Irish Gypsy Boxer is an obvious frontrunner of the pack. These characters are allowed to develop and display their quirky selves, largely due to the wonderfully written script. The dialogue in this film is stunning-both engaging and hilarious at the same time.

Once again, I simply do not know what people are talking about when they describe the film as a difficult one. The accents are not hard to decipher at all, with the exception of Brad Pitt's character. In those instances where the dialogue does fall off, it seems utterly intentional on Ritchie's part and adds to the character development in the film. Secondly, the movie's multiple storylines are spliced rather well and I do not think that the average film viewer will have trouble piecing together the plot. As has been stated, the plot is not complicated in the least-it is simply how Ritchie spices up an old, well-traveled story.

If you want to have a good time watching a British gangster film, give _Snatch_ a look. You will not be disappointed.