Gangster movie snatches worthy attention

Greg Jerrett, Kyle Moss


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GJ: “Snatch” only has one major problem with it: the name is slightly misleading if you don’t know Guy Ritchie. Other than that, “Snatch” is a well-made film with a furious pace, unique cinematography and quality acting that make a brilliant script tingle with electricity. “Snatch” is about a group of gangsters looking to get their hands on an 84-carat diamond that is making its way from Antwerp to New York via London. Franky Four Fingers (Benicio del Toro) is a Jewish gangster with a gambling problem who steals the huge rock to begin with. He needs to transport the diamond to New York, but stops over in London to buy a gun from Boris the Blade (Rade Sherbedgia). Boris sets him up to be robbed at a bookie joint where the diamond ends up in the hands of three stupid criminals hired by Boris.Meanwhile, boxing promoter Turkish (Jason Statham) just wants to buy a new trailer to run his business. Unfortunately, he sends his sidekick Tommy and one of his boxers to buy it from a modern gypsy or “piker” named Mickey (Brad Pitt) who turns out to be the bare-knuckle boxing champion of the pikers.Mickey puts the boxer in the hospital, and Turkish gets the bright idea to put him in the ring. The local gangster boss, Brick Top (Alan Ford), wants Mickey to go down in the fourth round, but Mickey has the habit of knocking people out with one punch. This puts Turkish squarely in Brick Top’s pocket.The diamond ends up passing from one gangster to the other and eventually ends up in the stomach of a dog. Gangster after gangster comes on screen to play a small but colorful role,and film rolls on for 102 minutes that feel more like 30.KM: “Snatch” has a lot of appealing aspects to it that make it fun to watch. Even though you can’t totally understand some of the dialogue that takes place due to strong accents, the story remains pretty easy to follow.GJ: It is true the thick, thick accents are a challenge unless you grew up watching the BBC or happen to be a Cockney.KM: A word that comes to mind when seeing “Snatch” is “refreshing.” Much like its older sibling, “Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels,” this film steps away from the norm of the usual Hollywood garbage and presents a film with interesting cinematography, more laid-back acting and good dry humor.GJ: The one criticism reviewers have had is that “Snatch” is a little too much like Ritchie’s first film, but this doesn’t keep the movie from rocking. Quentin Tarantino has basically made the same movie three times now and no one minds. Ritchie could do movies about English gangsters in this style for the next five years and it wouldn’t be any more tiresome than the endless slew of American gangster movies that all look like “The Godfather.”KM: The fluid melding of music into scenes also makes this film more appealing. One fight scene comes to mind that wouldn’t be half as good if it wasn’t for the accompanying musical background.GJ: Ritchie blends music and motion like David Fincher, the director of “Seven” and “8MM.” It isn’t quite like watching a music video, but has that pacing to it.KM: There really aren’t any standout actors, only solid performances across the board. Benicio del Toro, though fun to watch, doesn’t really span out much with his character types. Brad Pitt keeps his scruffy look from “Fight Club” but portrays a much weirder character — and he does it well. His heavily accented and slurred speech is hard to follow, making him one of the funniest characters.Other actors that added nice touches of humor to “Snatch” include Dennis Farina (“Reindeer Games,” “Eddie”) and Vinnie Jones (“Gone in 60 Seconds”). Their no-bullshit attitudes make them fun to watch as they interact with some of the other characters.GJ: Ritchie has made good use of a wide variety of great actors, but this is not a vehicle for any of them including Pitt. They all contribute to the story instead of the story contributing to their careers and that is as it should be.KM: Director Guy Ritchie stuck with his directing style that turned some heads when he directed “Lock, Stock.” Since “Snatch” is only his second film like this, it hasn’t quite garnered the Oliver Stone disease — when a certain directing style gets really old.Sticking with the crime storyline, Ritchie was able to make a film, although comparable to “Lock, Stock,” that is a magnum opus in itself.GJ: Ritchie is currently the English Tarantino, and if he keeps doing the exact same thing, it will likely get old. But for now, Ritchie’s style is sweet, gritty and fantastic. He brings a world many of us could not imagine into sharp focus.KM: “Snatch” has its share of dull moments and times when you wish you could have understood what was said. But its refreshing, smooth-flowing story and humor make this a must-see. GJ: Best way to make sure you get everything is to see this movie more than once. Like “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs,” “Snatch” will make for high entertainment for at least five viewings.