Review: Snatch

Snatch (2000)

Directed by: Guy Ritchie

*ing: Jason Statham
Stephen Graham
Alan Ford
Benicio Del Toro
Rade Serbedzija
Dennis Ferina
Mike Reid
Brad Pitt

Rating: ****1/2

I had been recommended Snatch umpteen number of times by a couple of friends and strangers.
Somehow, the idea of a heavy British comedy about diamonds did not excite my enthusiasm much.
With nothing to do off late and a copy of Snatch lying with me, I went through it to kill time.

What pleasantly surprised me was its ability to be more than a time-killer. Much, much more.

Guy Ritchie has taken a handful of colourful characters, a fizzy plot, the beautiful London as backdrop and made a hell of a movie out of them.

To start with, Turkish (Jason Statham) and Tommy (Stephen Graham) are unlicensed-boxing agents working as partners. They’re hired by a tough cookie Brick Top (Alan Ford) who wants their man to loose illegally in the fourth round so that his clients win their bets.

Meanwhile Frank Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) has just burgled an 84 carat diamond that has invited the interests of a Russian gun dealer Boris ‘The Blade’ (Rade Serbedzija), jeweler Doug ‘The Head’ (Mike Reid) and his American based Cousin Avi (Dennis Farina).
Boris hires conmen Vincent (Robbie Gee) and Sol (Lennie James) to get him the diamond whereas Doug and Avi hire a hilarious hit man, Bullet Tooth Toney (Vinnie Jones) towards the climax to get matters finished.

Here the boxer representing Turkish is knocked down in one punch by the crazy gypsy Mickey (Brad Pitt) in a street fight and now it’s Mickey himself who’ll have to step in the ring as proxy.

Now, how these obviously mad characters, the diamond, the mafia, the gypsies and a stupid dog get involved in to a hell-tangle of a plot is amazingly executed. Who gets the diamond in the end being the mammoth question!

The proceedings are blessed with so many amusing twists and turns that it’s impossible to put them on paper. It is an experience you have to fervor.

The screenplay (Guy Ritchie) doesn’t arouse one slightly boring millisecond and the editing (Jon Harris), dialogues (Guy Ritchie) are super slick. London is beautifully captured by Tim Maurice-Jones.

Jason Statham proves he can emote and Stephen Graham as his partner is fantastic.
Alan Ford as the fast-talking gangster is outstanding. He’s also endowed with the best lines in the film.

Benecio Del Toro has very little to do but shines through.
Rade Serbedzija as the official Russian is a delight to watch along with Mike Reid and the super-frustrated Dennis Ferinia. Vinnie Jones come right in the dying hours and creates havoc.

Above all rises Brad Pitt as a dirty, filthy gypsy with an accent that no one can understand. His timing is perfect, his body language immaculate and his lines tactfully delivered. He is the Ace in this pack of wicked characters.

Guy Ritchie has successfully achieved what he set out to make. A mad-colourful-hilarious comedy.
In fact it is so entertaining that it might exhaust you.
A final advice though, watch it with subtitles to understand 90% of the film.

- Abbas Aziz Dalal.