The Worst Movie of 2000?

Rating: 2/10 (24 January 2001)

"Snatch" may well be the worst movie I have seen over the past 12 months. Who ever told Guy Ritchie he can direct? Probably the same person who told him Madonna would make a good wife.
There are so many places where this film went wrong, I don't know where to begin. But, I'll give it a shot.
1. The movie is just too slow. Ritchie certainly is taking us for a wild ride, but the pace is almost as slow as an 80-year-old grandmother driving on the interstate. Ritchie spends too much time spinning his wheels before moving on.
2. MTV-Style cinematography. Nothing really wrong with this, provide it is actually used to further the story and the pace of the film. But Ritchie uses it as a gimmick. His lame attemps to dazzle me actually bored me.
3. The use of "ethnic types" and "ethnic humor." Again, I have nothing against the use of ethnic humor or the use of race, provided it is not done in a mean spirited manner. Ritchie doesn't cross the line, but he does tread it. Actually, from his portrayals I can see that Ritchie's knowledge of ethnicity is limited to whatever is white Anglo-Saxon Protestant. His use of ethnic humor makes Ritchie look like an idiot.
4. Eccentric characters. I love to see really eccentric characters in movies. But again, this is something Ritchie can't handle. Half his characters aren't eccentric enough, and the rest go so far off the deep end that they are not even credible, just one-dimensional. Its as if Ritchie is trying too hard. Also there is a lack of "normal" characters for the eccentrics to play off of.
The only positive thing I can say about "Snatch" is that this is the best acting I have ever seen from Brad Pitt. He totally disappeared into his character. Unfortunately, even with Pitt "Snatch" is not worth the time or money to see.