Hey folks, Harry here with a whole slew of geeks beating their keyboards about SNATCH... and as usual... they all have varying experiences with their SNATCH ponderings... but then all geeks feel this way when they delve into SNATCH... or so I've heard. Guy Ritchie's SNATCH is apparently a tight juicy and meaner version of the LS2SB formula... I can't wait to see this SNATCH for myself... here ya go... beware of spoilers throughout the numerous reviews...
Harry,
Jack Foley here. I last wrote in about a month and a half ago with a word on "Meet the Parents." Well, last night, I had the luck of seeing Guy Ritchie’s "Snatch" (that was the title on the screen, but I think it’s still changing) at a screening in Woodland Hills, CA.
Well, let me give everyone a barometer to match up with: I wasn’t a huge fan of "Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels." I thought it was good film with great moments visually. It went a bit slow until the last half hour or so, which was when it kicked a bit of ass.
I have to say that I feel the same way about "Snatch." There a ton of great acting, amazing visuals, funny points, but overall, it takes a while to get to the point where everyone’s paths intersect.
The film opens with a great robbery scene and one of the most amazing open credit sequences I’ve ever seen. It's just amazing! Then, we start getting into the story. Turkish and Tommy (two of the guys from Lock, Stock) are two struggling boxing promoters/small time criminals trying to get in good with the big crime-boss, Bricktop Eddie, who happens to be one vicious bastard. Tommy and their latest boxing protégé/goon, Gorgeous George, go to visit a bunch of gypsies, or as they’re referred to here, "pikeys," to buy a new caravan/trailer for their "headquarters." The "pikey" sell them a bad caravan/trailer and Gorgeous George challenges their most vocal, Mickey (Brad Pitt) to a fight. With one punch, Mickey knocks out George, who is supposed to box in only two days. Turkish and Tommy now have to replace Gorgeous George with someone who can last four rounds of a fight and then take a fall for Bricktop Eddie.
Meanwhile, Frankie Four Fingers (Benicio Del Torro) has stolen a huge diamond and is trying to get it back to Avi (Dennis Farina), who seems to be some sort of big time, black market jeweler in New York. While in London, Frankie meets up with this bad Russian guy, Boris the Blade, who can help him get a gun for protection. But Boris also wants the diamond that Frankie has stolen. He knows that Frankie has a weakness for gambling and has him place a wager at an illegal bookie. Boris then hires three jewler/thugs to rob the bookie as soon as Frankie goes in to place his bet.
This all takes place in the first half-an hour or forty five minutes and gets much much more complex as the diamond changes hands between each of them. All of their paths cross a number of times and everyone gets what they deserve.
The acting was all really good. The best two were Brad Pitt and Vinnie Jones. My big concern was that it was going to be tough not to picture Brad Pitt doing another fighting/boxing type of thing right after Fight Club, but it’s a completely different character. He’s funny and does a great accent. Vinnie Jones, who comes into the film about halfway through, plays another tough guy, but this time he’s got the brains to go with the brawn. He was fantastic. There’s a great standoff in a bar with him and a bunch of guys who want to start some trouble with him. Everyone else gave solid performances.
The visuals were very innovative and exciting. Ritchie has a knack for picking the right type of music to go with some of those kick-ass scenes. Not only were the open and opening credits great, but there’s an awesome boxing scene at the end and a really nice car accident scene where everyone seems to get involved.
Once again, my problem was that this film just slowed down in between the great moments. It’s hard to make a film that criss-crosses without giving too much exposition. I think Guy Ritchie’s got loads of talent visually, but storywise, he still needs a bit of work. I can guarantee that Guy Ritchie’s fans will be really satisfied.
Until the next time,
Jack Foley
Hey folks, Hicks is up next... but one comment to the studio... DON'T FUCKING CHANGE THIS TITLE.... SNATCH is A CLASSIC TITLE... GUY RITCHIE'S SNATCH... Love that title....
Hi Harry and Co,
Hicks here again.
Last night I had the opportunity to catch the first American glimpse at Guy Ritchie's follow-up to LOCK, STOCK & 2 SMOKING BARRELS entitled SNATCH. Wait, or is it...SNATCHED??? The question, RAYMOND, is what is the title going to be??
Well, the print held the title SNATCH, but all of the paperwork(flyers, surveys, etc...) said SNATCHED. So, my guess is the title is being changed to SNATCHED for the American release. Whatever.
Anyway, on with the review.
First off, I'll tell ya, I'm recommending the movie.
Secondly, I'll tell ya, SNATCH is nothing more than LOCK, STOCK redux; or, moreover, LOCK, STOCK meets FIGHT CLUB, period. Yeah.
This movie, however, has a much different tone to it than Ritchie's previous effort. SNATCH is brutal as all hell; it's tough as nails. Now, I love LOCK, STOCK. I saw it 3 times in theaters when it came out; I laughed harder than I had at most movies. LOCK, STOCK is hysterical, in my opinion. SNATCH is not nearly as funny, but just as dark and ten times as tough.
Example: The harshest scene in LOCK, STOCK(for me, at least) is when Vinnie Jones(as Big Chris) takes Dog's head and beats it repeatedly with the passenger door of his car. That image stopped my laughing, period. Now, SNATCH is 100 minutes of scenes just like that one. SNATCH is not that easy to watch at times, but it never borders on anything to extreme. That's why I liken it so much to FIGHT CLUB.
Ritchie's direction is more simply an extension of the ideas he used in his first film. More great fast/slow-mo shots, compositions are incredibly tight and intrusive, and the camera is by no means bolted down. Fincher obviously HAD TO BE a big influence on Ritchie because the more I think about it the more I SERIOUSLY believe this movie is a cross between LOCK, STOCK and FIGHT CLUB.
As for the cast...very, very exciting acting, I say.
Benecio Del Toro...he's in the movie very little, mostly toward the beginning, but he works fine for the quirky thief/compulsive gambler he is supposed to be.
Jason Statham...quite simply, he's the British version of Vince Vaughn. He is the lead of this ensemble piece. HOWEVER, his character is almost completely an extension of the Bacon character he played in LOCK, STOCK. This time, however, he plays an underground boxing promoter caught up in a deal to have one of his fighters throw a fight for some "baddies." I mean, with a name like "Turkish"(yes, that's right), you GOTTA love him.
Brad Pitt...AWESOME. He steals the movie as this Irish/Gypsy boxer who is all about family. He IS NOT TYLER DURDEN in the movie, thank god. He had the audience rolling on the floor with laughter.
Vinnie Jones...BAD-ASS. His character is Big Chris from LOCK, STOCK with small alterations. However, that character is just so fun to watch I couldn't help myself but love every minute he was on-screen.
Dennis Farina...what is he doing in this movie, you ask? Playing Dennis Farina, the same role he always plays, just as a New York jeweler this time. But, you know, he's really engaging and fun to watch.
The rest of the cast features a motley crew of cockney bad dudes, pretty much all the same characters from LOCK, STOCK with slightly newer identities. Jason Flemyng has a fun little bit as Brad Pitt's best friend and the Russian general from Space Cowboys(I always forget his name) is quite funny as Boris the Blade(the Hatchet Harry character from the first movie, I'd say). Everyone creates likeable characters which really help the viewer enjoy what could(and some may say, is) a reprinting of Ritchie's first movie.
As for the plot: same old convoluted heist/mistaken identity/bare-knuckle fighting as LOCK, STOCK, just a different scenario.
I was never bored in SNATCH, the editing is so damn frenetic that it's impossible. What I saw was pretty much the final edit and I have no qualms about that. The only thing I really do have a problem with is that many of the jokes they use in the movie are WAY OVERUSED. One involves Statham and the phrase "Ze Germans" and the other involves Farina's character flying back and forth from New York to London.
The music is great stuff. Pretty much a reprinting of the FIGHT CLUB soundtrack.
BEST SCENE OF THE MOVIE: There's this huge boxing match toward the end of the film with Brad Pitt in it that puts the Poker scene in the first movie to shame. It's downright crazy.
This is how it works, folks. If you loved LOCK, STOCK and you loved FIGHT CLUB, you'll like this movie a lot, probably; I did. If you only liked LOCK, STOCK, you'll probably be kind of indifferent to this one. If you seriously disliked LOCK, STOCK, you'll probably HATE SNATCH.
Nothing new going on in this one really; well, nothing groundbreaking I'd say. But it is quite entertaining and enthralling. I'll go see it again when it gets released here.
BOTTOM LINE: I think I like LOCK, STOCK more because it's a little more lighthearted and fresh, BUT, SNATCH is not without merit. It's a fun movie to go see with all of your friends.
That'll do it, folks. Good to be back on duty, I say.
This is Corporal Hicks, signing off.
...and I'm still not dead, no matter what anyone tells you.
Here's Future Man....
Harry,
Long time, first time and you can call me Future Man.
For those of you who are unaware of the adrenaline charged directing of Guy Ritchie - shame on you! Well, he is following up his critical success Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels with the film Snatched (Snatch in the UK). Recently there was a test screening for that very film out here in sunny California. From what the MC led us all to believe was that it is the first US screening of the film.
Before I get to the review, let me say that this film is packed with star power. It has a good combination of Lock, Stock vets and A list stars. The film stars Brad Pitt, Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina (the Americans, Ewan Bremner and some other names that people might recognize from Ritchie's Debut are Vinnie Jones (also in the lame Gone in 60 Sec), Jason Statham, Jason Flemyng, and Alan Ford.
Now to the movie, well if you liked Lock,Stock than Snatch is gonna be a familiar ride but just as exciting. It has the same twisting plot, gritty lighting, and multiple colorful characters. The shots are just as funky and out-there especially with what appears to be the increased budget.
I am going to try and avoid spoilers, but this film has some really kick-ass montages. He pulls off the "Limey-esque" trailer style character intros which again works incredibly well. Brad Pitt has a boxing scene that is like those Raging Bull fights except with about ten times the adrenaline. I mean come on! What kind of Guy Ritchie film would this be, if he didn't take Scorsese's ideas and run with them!
Another pleasant surprise is how seamlessly the American stars worked with the gritty London Underground. Brad Pitt is very cool as One Punch Mickey speaking in an accent that is totally impossible to comprehend, Dennis Farina brings in the satire from Get Shorty, and Benicio Del Toro, although not with a big role, also has some great scenes.
In a nutshell, Snatched is unpredictable, relentless, DAMN exciting, and Film buffs will eat up the subtle but plentiful film references. The one complaint some people had were the thinly developed characters, it is a true gripe but COME ON THIS IS ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT! I mean Ritchie puts in about 12 really unique characters and let’s them battle their way to the end of a movie maze! Stick in Brad Pitt and a bunch of Cult favorites and this is a sure winner!
Future Man
and now for Mas Grande Hermano...
Hey Harry:
Was able to catch Snatch through some SKa friends the other day and I thought I'd fill in y'all.
When I first heard about Snatch, I thought 'Hey, Porno!' so you can only imagine my surprise upon finally seeing the film and there's NO NUDITY or FEMALE characters to speak of. Fortunately there is something much better.
Just when I was beginning to lament how bad 2000 is for movies (let's face it, this year sucks compared to 1999), Snatch has given me hope. I'm not sure when it comes out in the US but the UK has it early next month and it is enough to make you WANT to be on this side of the pond for a change.
Anyway, for those of you who don't know, Snatch is Guy Ritchie's latest effort which stars Benicio del Toro, Brad Pitt, Dennis Farina, along with Ritchie regulars like Vinnie Jones, Alan Ford, and Jason Flemyng. The story involves an endlessly failed diamond heistbut in a good way. Basically the huge stone passes through many hands in the quirky British underworld (either through strong-armed tactics, scams, or bumbling robberies involving a highly signficant dog.) To say more, not only would I be spoiling the beauty of the plot, but there are so many twists and turns that it would take a better man than I to chronicle them all.
The other side of the plot involves Tony (Vinnie Jones) as a downtrodded boxing promoter (along with his forgettable brother) who sets up patsies for Brick Top's (an amazing Alan Ford) fighters to knock down. Tony, in need of a office, sends his brother and their latest moose-like boxer to purchase a "caravan" (British for Winnebago) off some Pikeys--who speak some intelligible Anglo language and are basically the gypsies of the UK. Pikeys, not known for their honesty, sell Tony's boys a crappy trailer and a mano-a-mano fight ensues which has Brad Pitt (no references to Fight Club, please) knocking out the much larger boxer. (Pikeys know how to fight.)
Tony, now without his boxer right before one of Brick Top's matches, gets the bright idea to sign Brad Pitt for the fight. Brick Topreluctantly goes along with the substitution provided the fix goes off as planned. However when it comes time for the match, Brad Pitt...
I'm gonna stop there. The plot is so intertwined (this ain't Seinfeld) that it is a sheer joy to watch unfold. Keep in mind the diamond heist also fits into this.
Snatch is a very good movie and I think the main reason is Guy Ritchie. Sure he has a complicated plot & colorful characters (he wrote it) but his direction really makes the most of it. Unlike our music video directors (are you listening Michael Bay? Antoine Fuqua?), Guy Ritchie proves you can be imaginative with the camera AND have it story-driven. There are some great montages (especially one summing up a flight from NY to London) and he makes it look easy. Plus, his comedic sense is on-target and doesn't merely consist of British "understatement" humor. This Guy Ritchie guy (I haven't seen Hard Case) is 2 for 2 in my book.
Another pleasant surprise is Brad Pitt. When I heard he was in the movie I assumed it would be basically a cameo but he has a very meaty part. (No puns please.) And you can't understand a word he (the Pikey) says in the whole movie! But he's hilarious.
As I mentioned, Benicio is good. Dennis Farina plays the same character he always plays, but that's OK. Rade Serbedzja (or whatever his name is) plays a perfect, wild-eyed, ex-KGB Russian who just won't die. But the real casting coup is Alan Ford as Brick Top. The man spews so much malevolence with every word it's amazing. Any actor playing a godfather-heavy in the near future will measure quite unfavorably to his performance.
My only real complaint with the film was Vinnie Jones. His character is the main one (probably has the most lines) but does the least. Compared to everyone else, he seemed like a piece of wood. But when you love a movie where the main character is blah--that's a damn good flick.
See the movie. See it again. (Catch the parts you were too busy laughing through the first time.) In a bleak year for movies, Snatch is a real gem. (Sorry)
Mas Grande Hermano
and here's one that likes it a bit...
Ok then, here goes. Please keep in mind for anyone reading this that it was written by a teenager so please skew your opinions accordingly. Guy Ritchie, writer of the 1998 film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, is again at his best with Snatch, formerly titled Diamonds. This ensemble film, set against London's Jewish diamond district, revolves around a particular diamond which is stolen at the beginning of the movie. Although there are no "main" characters, the two you are introduced to first are those played by Vinnie Jones and Jason Statham who also starred together in Ritchie's previous work. The biggest name in the film, although not the biggest part, is that of Brad Pitt of Fight Club and Seven fame. Another small but memorable role is played by Dennis Farina.
Let me start by saying that I really liked this movie. Brad Pitt reprises the physical aspect of his role in Fight Club, playing a traveling gypsy who happens to also be a boxing champion. I'm a pretty big fan of Pitt, I LOVED Fight Club, and this role shows him doing what he does best, while adding some degree of emotional and more dramatic acting ability not shown in Club. Many different plots are going on at the same time all involving this one particular diamond, in a Go / Pulp Fiction sort of way. I particularly loved the sense of humor! One scene involving a car crash in particular will leave you rolling in the aisles.
But my favorite thing! I don't remember the name of the actor, but the tough silent guy from Gone in 60 Seconds plays a tough witty guy in this movie. He is so the man! This film had an excellent pace, a really kick-ass jazz/techno soundtrack, and some seriously cool editing techniques (the opening title sequence is extraordinary). I'd give it one of my highest reccomendation, especially for those of you who like Go - type movies. However, its definitely not for you if you can't stant British accents. Thats about all I have to say. Back to you Harry.
Master G
