Squealing dogs, diamond heists gone wrong, illegal bare-knuckle boxing, and inarticulate Irish gypsies: Add these up, and the sum is a movie that actually delivers on its promises. "Snatch" does not disappoint. The laughter starts during the opening sequence and doesn't end until the very last credits roll.
Directed by Madonna's Guy Ritchie, "Snatch" starts off with the robbery of an 84-karat diamond from an Antwerp merchant. The priceless gem travels from Russia (with greed and love) to England, eventually ending up in the hands of virtually every character in the film.
Each of the many characters is intent on pursuing his own agenda, be it diamond-stealing or throwing a boxing match. Each (illegal) agenda involves guns, pain, blood, death, dogs, and, oddly enough, mobile homes. Paths begin to cross, people begin to die and the prized diamond is lost in the ensuing confusion.
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Comparisons between British director/writer Guy Ritchie and indie superstar Quentin Tarantino abound and for good reason. Ritchie, who broke onto the movie scene in 1998 with his hit "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels," has taken the platform of "Pulp Fiction" and turned it into a faster, funnier and more direct movie.
Ritchie's innovation with editing and camerawork gives the film a very fresh feeling. The way the camera jumps from one sequence of events to another could easily have ended up choppy. Instead, all of the jump cuts flow seamlessly together. For example, the film's most jarring juxtaposition of scenes comes during Mickey's boxing match, when an image of Mickey drowning in water is placed in between knockout blows.
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Even the use of scenes placed anti-chronologically does not upset the flow of the film. Cut-and-splice editing techniques and unique camera angles combine to give the viewer a different perspective on events, something not found in most action/comedies.
His directing skills are excellent, but Ritchie's writing skills shine the most in "Snatch." Ritchie's profanity-laden, but nonetheless witty scripts are a definite departure from the stale jokes and comments that permeate so many of Hollywood's movies today. His tightly-knit plot twists also impress.
Ritchie has assembled a remarkably diverse cast of actors. While some, such as Golden Globe-winner Benicio Del Toro ("Traffic") and "Fight Club'"s incredible Brad Pitt, are almost too well-known, a large number of the film's actors have received only marginal fame. Much of the cast has rejoined Ritchie after their success with "Lock, Stock." The most notable of these is Vinnie Jones, star soccer player-turned-movie star. Jones brings his own spin to the screen and gives the impression that he has acted all of his life.
Accomplished actors such as Del Toro and Pitt work amazingly well with Ritchie, as they take smaller supporting roles while allowing virtual unknowns from Britain to carry the movie along with them. Despite the relatively small size of his role, Pitt turns out one the best performances of his career. Perhaps the pressure of not being the main protagonist has allowed him to really become his character; perhaps he is simply a perfect fit for the boxing gypsy, or "Pikey," as he is called. Either way, his stupendous job of creating an incoherent Irish/gypsy accent provides viewers with uncommonly loud guffaws while simply trying to understand his words.
When it comes to acting, this movie lacks one thing that most movies today possess: a main character. No one actor carries the movie. Instead, each actor has a supporting role, and all are at their best. The intensity from each and every actor never abates.
"Snatch" is, by far, the best action/comedy since "Lock, Stock," and is perhaps one of the best movies to hit the silver screen in months. Watching actors of all levels of fame and experience come together under a brilliant director, to produce a truly great movie will reveal to any viewer the sheer joy that can be snatched at the theater.
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