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Snatch
Directed by Guy Ritchie
Following the laborious but popular Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels, Snatch should make it possible for English director Guy Ritchie to broaden his public to the American frontier.
The film, like its predecessor, follows the interwoven travels of various types of gangsters in London's underworld. This time, in order to counter his previous detractors (who had reproached him for the incomprehensible accent of his actors), he renders the dialogue more accessible and calls on some American actors like Brad Pitt (One Punch Mickey O' Neil), Dennis Farina (Avi Cousin) and Benicio Del Toro (Frankie Four Fingers). Obviously, he pushes for irony by having his star Brad Pitt speak in a completely hacked Anglo-Gypsy dialect.
The plot, rather simple in, is in the same vein as Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels. Various groups of English and American gangsters and one Russian named Boris The Blade (Rade Serbedzija) fight over a diamond stolen by Frankie Four Fingers while Turkish (Jason Statham) and One Punch Mickey stage fake clandestine boxing matches.
The director skillfully combines an electric montage with an eclectic soundtrack (Oasis, Massive Attack, Mirwais and of course Madonna) and caustic dialogues. The film, like its humor, is abrasive and continues at a tireless pace. One is rarely bored, contrary to Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels which went in circles. The cast is also more professional, starting with a hilarious Brad Pitt with his machine gun speech and his hammer fists. The actor knew to make himself ugly for this role and to movie star allure behind for the loquacious nature of his character. Dennis Farina has the cool attitude of American landing in Europe, Rade Serbedzija knows what to do as a Russian Mafia type, while Jason Statham and his stooge rival each other's stupidity. Obviously we can't forget Vinnie Jones who again takes on the role as a vicious killer and Benecio Del Toro, in a short appearance, is as nonchalant as he can be.
Ritchie, who has lately shown that he's not indifferent to American charm, spices everything up while playing the self-derision card. Through his characters he makes many allusions to English anarchy or madness, and assures that the winners of his history will not be English. The filmmaker, already a prophet in his own country, has sailed off to conquer the new continent with Snatch. And the bet is won.
Fred Thom
Related
• RocknRolla
• Lock, Stock & 2 Smoking Barrels
• Madonna: Music
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Snatch review
