Snatch

Snatch's opening is one of those virtuoso displays of editing and technique that almost makes you want to jump out of your chair. After a calm, skillful invasion tracked by a half dozen hidden cameras, several characters pull out pistols and proceed to rob the place. The robbery becomes kinetically charged as the camera flips amongst the characters, zooming in and out, and rotates around our view. All of this while cutting so fast it almost makes your head whirl. Even with how fast the editing is, you're still able to see exactly how they're pulling off the heist. After the completion, we're treated to a dazzling display of character introduction, where each main character (and there are many) is introduced by name. Each character is linked together in their own way as the camera scrolls through them. It's too much to absorb in one sitting, but I think that the filmmakers realize that. We only need to pick up a few of their names, the rest will be reiterated later. The greatness of these opening few minutes is seen sporadically throughout, as keeping up with this tempo would have proved impossible.

The script is a complex weave of gangsters, gypsies, and all sorts of criminal types. It follows the quest for a 84 karat diamond, a beauty which proves to be extremely difficult for people to obtain. Two men, Turkish and Tommy, get caught up in the search for the missing diamond and along the way they run into trouble with the local gang leader. He finds that it becomes increasingly difficult to do all that his boss requires, as the people he employs to help him out become less and less willing to perform their part of the bargain. Of course, they're not penalized but he is. On more than one occasion his life is threatened in a multitude of ways.

There's a particular moment near the middle of Snatch where the movie could have abondoned all of its comedic roots and ventured farther down the route of glorified violence and anger. I'm not sure whether the decision that was made was entirely the right one. They took a middle road, and the result is a film that is slightly less focused and definitely less pleasing to watch. At times it's still funny, and at times it's still a violent thrill ride but it attempts to take on too much. Trying to tackle the huge number of characters that it already does is tough enough, but giving them entirely new objectives is something else. It's still moderately successful, but clearly doesn't match up with the vigor of the first half.

Individual scenes are energizing, such as an amazingly constructed boxing scene near the conclusion. The second half of the film, however, ends up being somewhat unfocused. The acting is great all around, with Brad Pitt giving a memorable performance as an incomprehensible gypsy boxer with a dozen brothers and a mom that loves him. The acting keeps the film always interesting, and the editing keeps things moving. Director Guy Ritchie could have used some mood altering in the last half to lighten it up a bit, especially after the hilarious beginning, but he's still a filmmaker to admire.

It basically ends up being a film that will be remembered for individual scenes and a couple of performances. It could take Ritchie's career to another level if he ever decides to push himself out of the British gangster genre. Entertaining for almost all of the running time, Snatch has enough enery to pull a few punches and not end up face down on the mat.

Note to self: never underestimate the one-punch prowess of a gypsy boxer.

On a scale of 1 to 10 rabbit hunts : 7