Snatch Movie Review

Snatch (2000)

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Written by: Guy Ritchie
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Starring: Jason Statham, Brad Pitt, Stephen Graham, Vinnie Jones, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina, Lennie James
Rated: R
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Plot
Unscrupulous boxing promoters, violent bookmakers, a Russian gangster, incompetent amateur robbers, and supposedly Jewish jewelers fight to track down a priceless stolen diamond.

Verdict
A frenetic and at times darkly comedic caper with a cast of colorful characters chasing a diamond. Ritchie's films are stylish at times to a fault. This one is his best, infused with the energy and the look of a music video at times.. It's fun from start to stop with twists, turns, and sub-plots that all eventually connect. None of these characters are particularly moral or smart, but their plights and one liners make them likable. It's a lot of fun, the type of movie that inspired others to copy it.
Watch It.

Review
It all starts with a diamond heist. This robbery directly and indirectly affects all the characters we see. It's a really large diamond, and a lot of people want it.

Ritchie movies tend towards over the top and stylized. The music is loud and the characters have quirks or are in odd situations. This one like his previous movie, Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels, is a lot of fun because the viewer has the full picture while the characters are working against each other. They don't know other parties are involved and that creates a conflict. We see all these small time crooks in England's underbelly. It's a lot of them, and even though we don't know how they fit together yet, they are all just unique enough that we don't confuse them. Unfortunately this setup continued in later Ritchie movies, but it never captured the spirit of this one. Later movies felt like a cheap knockoff.

Brad Pitt, Stephen Graham, Alan Ford, Jason Staham play Mickey, Tommy, Brick Top, Turkish

The movie maintains a light, comedic tone despite the criminals and crimes portrayed. Most of the characters are just dumb enough to still be believable, but their shortcomings make for an entertaining plot.
This is one of Brad Pitt's best roles as Mickey the Pikey. We're told the problem derived from negotiating with Pikeys is that you can't understand them. That's certainly true. Turkish (Jason Statham) and Tommy (Stephen Graham) are forced into a series of deals with Mickey that could end quite badly if Mickey doesn't do exactly as they say. The problem is that you can't control Mikey, much less understand him.

Lennie James, Robbie Gee, Dennis Farina, Vinnie Jones play Sol, Vinny, Cousin Avi, Bullet Tooth Tony

This movie is so much fun, as various sub-plots start to connect and conflict.The dialog is sharp and often quotable. There's bad luck all around. Nothing goes well for any of the characters. Turkish and Tommy have to substitute their fighter due to Mickey. This changes the bets for Brick Top the bookie, which affects the robbery Sol, Vinny, and Tyrone are planning to undertake. The various plots twist and intertwine, but they never feel confusing in the moment. It's completely entertaining even if you don't follow it all as the symmetry between what's happening adds an extra layer of commentary.

In this underworld, everyone is related to some degree. The diamond is the plot device that drives the characters. Nearly all of them would have been better off if they had avoided the diamond, but when you get greedy there are consequences.