The first thing that came to mind after watching Guy Ritchie’s 2001 crime film Snatch. was that it must have been a bugger to write. Ritchie, who both scribed and directed the movie, concocts a motion picture that feels like an amalgam of film noir, a British crime caper, a boxing flick as well as a comedy – all thrown onto the screen by some sort of high powered rocket launcher.
For those of you who have already viewed this British pic, you’ll know what I mean – and for those of you who haven’t, you are in for quite the original and fast paced ride (though it must also be said that this movie does feel quite similar to Ritchie’s 1998 offering, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels).
As you very well may imagine, this one is tricky to review as well. To simplify the massive number of happenings, there are two main storylines: one following numerous individuals vying for a stolen fist-sized diamond, while the other traces the steps of our voice-over narrator, a small-time boxing promoter named Turkish (Jason Statham), who has to deal with several issues as an underground event approaches.
To better allow you to enjoy the movie, I thought instead of doing a straightforward review, I would try to give you an outline of the countless characters and their goals in the film rather than all of the minutiae that builds the story.
Turkish is working with brutal gangster Brick Top (Alan Ford) to put on a boxing event. Gorgeous George (Adam Fogerty), who boxes for Turkish, is knocked senseless by Mickey O’Neil (a nearly never understood Irish gypsy played with gusto by Brad Pitt) while out on a job with the promoter’s second in command, Tommy (Stephen Graham). To rectify the situation, Turkish pitches replacing George with O’Neil in the upcoming fight – after convincing the gypsy and his best friend Darren (Jason Flemyng) that it is in their best interest (while also agreeing to buy a new caravan for O’Neil’s mother – played by Sorcha Cusack). Brick Top agrees, though he makes it very clear that the new boxer is to take a fall in the fourth round. When things do not go as planned, Turkish, Tommy and O’Neil fall into a precarious situation with the dangerous gangster.
On the diamond front, it all starts off with diamond thief Franky ‘Four-Fingers’ (Benicio del Toro) pulling off the heist. He then meets up with a fake Jewish gem dealer named Doug ‘The Head’ (Mike Reid) as a middle man for American jeweller ‘Cousin’ Avi (Dennis Farina) – who orchestrated the crime.
One of the criminals planning to re-rob the diamond is Boris ‘The Blade’ (Rade Šerbedžija), who sold an illegal firearm to ‘Four Fingers’. The former KGB agent taps the aid of Sol (Lennie James) and Vinny (Robbie Gee), a pair of pawn shop owners and small time crooks, to nab the stone from ‘Four Fingers’ – as he has been directed to place a bet at a specific locale by ‘The Blade’. The pawn shop owners contact heavy-set Tyrone (Ade) to be their getaway driver.
When Cousin Avi realizes that ‘Four Fingers’, a former fervent gambler, is in danger of a relapse, he hops on a plane with his bodyguard Rosebud (Sam Douglas) and the two arrive in London, promptly meeting up with their ally Doug. The two acquire the services of ‘Bullet Tooth’ Tony (Vinnie Jones), a dangerous hand for hire, to track down the degenerate gambler. ‘Bullet Tooth’ convinces informant Mullet (Ewen Bremner) to pass on some needed information, pointing them in the right direction.
This should provide you with a pretty solid guide to understanding the numerous players and their goals. What is not found in here, but is very interesting to witness, is how the two stories intersect and connect in small and nifty ways. As you can probably imagine, the two stories converge somewhat towards the end. Also watch for one of the more original car chase scenes in film history (that brings most of the characters together – though they do not know it).
Snatch. has a frantic pace, which is brought about by Ritchie’s energized direction and editing style. Just one example of this is the segment where Cousin Avi boards the plane for England. Ritchie, by way of his script, looks at topics and themes of revenge, luck, fate and happenchance (featuring ironic twists as well as the relationship between cause and effect). For those looking for an instance of this, just watch for the car scene (mentioned above) or for Tyrone’s parking job that leads to disaster as well as a positive aspect in the end.
Ritchie’s unorthodox comedy is also on display in this flick. His dialogue is sharp, some of his sketches are witty and when you mix the two together, he has created something special. One of my favourite lines is when Cousin Avi returns from England and the border guard asks him if he has “Anything to declare?”. His retort: “Yeah. Don’t go to England”.
The actors are also worth noting. Ritchie brings together a cast of top notch worldwide talent – from big names like Jason Statham and Brad Pitt, to excellent character actors such as Vinnie Jones and Dennis Farina. I am still not sure whether or not Brad Pitt’s accent was good, but by saying this I know I am missing the point of the gag. It is a true ensemble – and one worth acknowledging.
Snatch. is a fun gangster flick that is definitely worth watching – or re-visiting. Though at times it feels like the plot becomes too convoluted to perhaps hide something, the overall product is strong. It has a little bit of everything – comedy, drama, sports, crime and action (plus, it is interesting to observe that nearly every death takes place off screen – an unorthodox choice that works surprisingly well). So, make sure to see this, but don’t pull a snatch and grab – find your copy legally.