Gangsters galore! (Snatch (DVD))

Member Name: louanna8

Product:	Snatch (DVD)
Date:	27/07/09 (64 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Plot, fast-paced

Disadvantages: Brad Pitts accent

I've never watch, nor had the urge to, a Guy ritchie film before. As a Ritchie 'virgin' I wasn't sure what to expect as his movies sometimes recieve quite mixed reviews.However, I am glad I decided to make the effort to watch Snatch. Though by no means exceptional it was a fast-paced, interesting and often funny film.

Set in gangland London Snatch tells the story of Turkish(Jason Statham), a boxing promoter who is forced into organising a fixed match by ruthless gnagster Brick Top(Alan Ford.) Brick Top's penchant for feeding those who cross him to pigs means Turkish takes this task very seriously. Aided by his sometimes rather hapless sidekick Tommy, (Stephen Graham) Turkish enlists an unpredictable irish gypsy to fight in the match. Unfortunately for Turkish the gyspy, Mickey O' Neill (Brad Pitt), seems to have a hard time understanding that as the match is rigged he must go down in the fourth round.
A second storyline is also in play centering around a diamond heist that has gone a little wrong. Frankie Four Fingers (Benico Del Toro,) a gangster with a gambling problem, has gone missing in London with an 86 carat diamond in his posession. The man to whom he was supposed to be delivering said diamon, Uncle Avi, is understandably worried and enlists the help of Bullet Tooth Tony(Vinnie Jones) to track Frankie down. However, Brick Top has also heard about the massive rock and is keen to get a part of the action. So who will get the diamond? And more importantly will Mickey go down in the 4th and save Turkish and Tommy's skins?

I found the film really easy to follow despite the numerous dodgily named characters and the dual storyline. The interlinking stories gave depth to the movie and stopped it becoming boring. There are plenty of funny moments in there too and the gags used are not overly repetitive and don't wear thin. The ending was well thought out and wrapped everything up nicely and the one big twist made sure the movie finished with a bang.

In general the acting was of a high standard and I thought the mix of British actors and Hollywood ones worked really well. Jason Statham gave a convincing performance with a good mix of comedic and dramatic moments. I also like his narration of the film as his voice is just amazing. Stephen Graham played his part really well too and showed that he deserves much more recognition for his film work. He managed to bring off the slightly more lovable character without appearing stupid. Alan Ford made a fantastic gangster who you could easily hate without remorse. Vinnie Jones suprised me by giving a good performance and relying on comedic timing and facial expressions rather than just "hard man" shouting. The only actor I was slightly disappointed with was Brad Pitt. Though his performance was good his accent really wasn't. I understand that the "pikey" (Ritchie's word not mine) accent is supposed to be a mix of irish and english but Pitt seemed to have gone for saying words as quickly ass possible in a poor irish accent.

There are a few other downsides to the film. Firstly, there are no characters to whom you have an emotional tie. To put it simply, I didn't care who died or why. Also, people who have seen some of Ritchie's other films tell me that they are all very samey and there is little new in each one. In truth it probably isn't the most original of films either.

The film is rated 18 and with good reason. There is a lot of violence and strong language that wouldn't be suitable for young viewers or for the easily offended.

The extras on the dvd are;
A making of featurette
Directors Commentary
B roll
Deleted Scenes
Phtot Library
TV Spots
Soundbites
Trailers
Storyboard
Production Notes
Apparently there are also hidden extras but I've not bothered to look so can't say what these are.
Of the extras I've only watched th Making Of feature and though it isn't anything special it is interesting enough to warrant a look. It shows the relaxed and friendly relationship between the cast and crew and proves Ritchie to be a good but easy going director who takes pride in what he does.

Overall I was definitely impressed with the film and it exceeded my expectations. It kept my attention throughout and the number of characters popping in and out keeps the pace of the film going. It's isn't a thought-provoking film or one that's going to change the world but I'd recommend it nonetheless. A great watch particularly for anyone with a love of British cinema.

Summary: Good British Gangster flick!