“Snatch” kicks off in London with illegal boxing promoter named Turkish (Jason Statham), who convinces a gangster named Brick Top to place bets on a boxer named Mickey (Brad Pitt) through his bookie business. Mickey does not throw a fight as agreed upon, so Brick Top demands another match. Another gangster named Frankie Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro) also comes to place a bet on Mickey’s fight. As the movie dives further into the world of boxing, multiple criminals converge in London to steal a stolen diamond that Frankie is trying to sell.
Let’s start with the good in “Snatch.” Today, director Guy Ritchie is well established in his knack for stylish caper films. But as “Snatch” was released nearly 20 years ago, Ritchie was still finding his voice. It’s a lot of fun to go back and watch a now well-established director find his niche. “Snatch” appropriately moves with the pacing of a well-planned mob job. It’s fast, sleek and stylish. Ritchie includes lots of quick cuts with voice-over narration, which has become a staple in the way he shoots his films. Ritchie’s next big undertaking is a reimagining of the Disney animated classic “Aladdin.” Bringing this style that he began to establish “Snatch,” gives me hope that we’re about to get a fun “Aladdin” reboot coming our way this summer.
“Snatch” also touts some fun performances. Jason Statham is now a regular in the Ritchie universe. Statham exudes a level of cool confidence in the film, making him a fun protagonist and narrator. Brad Pitt is a blast as the wildcard Gypsy Mickey. He’s absolutely frenetic and steals every scene that he is in. Pitt somehow manages all of this while delivering all his lines in a nearly unintelligible accent.
While the movie is generally fun, the story can be hard to follow at times. “Snatch” may be too overambitious with everything it tries to pull off. Ritchie attempts to stitch multiple stories into the fabric of one movie, and it doesn’t quite always work. It’s difficult at times to keep the underground boxing story line and the diamond heist story line straight. It might become clearer after a second or third viewing, but a heist movie should not take more than one viewing to follow along. While it might not go down smoothly right away, “Snatch” is ultimately a lot of fun and bound to become more enjoyable with additional viewings.
-by Brynne Ramella
