Snatch Review: Entertaining But Familiar

 

Director: Guy Ritchie

 

UK Release Date: 1st September 2000

 

Running Time: 104 minutes

 

Starring: Bard Pitt, Vinnie Jones, Jason Statham, Benicio  
Del Toro

 

An ensemble cast feature in a typical Guy Ritchie film that is both entertaining and light-hearted.  Situated between "Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" (1998) and "RocknRolla" (2008), the film follows the usual British-crime-comedy theme that many of Ritchie's films happen to take.  "Snatch" is fun to watch but does repeat much of what we have seen of Ritchie's work before. 

 

Ritchie uses a large cast whose stories intertwine and mix up throughout.  Bookmakers, robbers, boxing promoters and gangsters all cross paths to look for a very sought after stolen diamond.  The film is similar in ways to "Pulp Fiction" in that different storylines cross over throughout although it can be said there is more of a link between the characters in "Snatch".  It is a good film that is easy enough to watch however the dialect may drive you mad especially if you watch the film in the same time period of watching one of Ritchie's other films.

 

 

One interesting aspect of the film was Brad Pitt.  He played the character Mickey O'Neil and fashioned a very strong, nearly unrecognisable Irish accent.  Now the accent is that strong that even the audience have struggled to understand what he was saying however if you can get your head around it, it is quite an impressive performance.  Fresh off his work on "Fight Club" (1999) Pitt showed that he can literally play any character and the accent provides a handful of jokes throughout the whole of the film. 

 

Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham were picked by Ritchie again to be cast in this film and maybe this is another area where similarities can be drawn from Lock Stock.  Both  of the actors starred in that film and arguably it shot them up in the world of film and movies.  It is difficult to see them differently in a film that is so similar in its storyline and direction.

 

All in all, "Snatch" is a very enjoyable film.  It certainly is entertaining and provides scenes that will make you laugh.  However, if you have seen some of Guy Ritchie's other films you will notice that they are nearly identical in the story line, with it only being applied in a different way.  Make sure you look out for Pitt's superb accent as it is one of the highlights of the film.  Let us know your own thoughts - did it work for you? Or was it to similar to Lock Stock?

 

M+F Rating: 7/10

 

Reviewed by M+F Reviews.