Know what you are in for...

Rating: Null/10 (14 October 2002)

Snatch is a good movie! The dialogue between the character is some of the most dynamic I have heard in a long time.
However, I do feel sorry for the poor sap who rents this movie with no preconceived notion of what the movie is about or whether it is comedy or drama. Snatch is the type of movie that shocks you from the opening scene. Not by the violence, but by the interlocking twists and turns of the characters involved.
NO doubt, this is a hilarious comedy.
Many have described the plot as complicated, thin, or even irrelevant.
After my second viewing (I required two viewings just to make sure I could remember who was who and who said what), I realized that the plot is solid and an integral part of the movie.
A group of crooks dressed up as stereotyped Jews steal a huge diamond. The diamond is brought to London. Then (at least) 5 sub plots occur during the movie: There is Russian mobster Boris 'The Blade' Yurinov who attempts to secure the diamond. There is an American mobster Cousin Abraham 'Avi' Denovitz who comes to London in an effort to secure the diamond. There are 3 black petty thieves who are hired to secure the diamond. There is 'Brick Top' Polford - a gangster boxing promoter who later finds out about the diamond, and finally there is Turkish, the narrator of the movie, and his buddy Tommy who are in deep s**t with the boxing promoter and they know nothing about the diamond...BUT....
I will stop right there.
It is obvious that Pulp Fiction played a MAJOR influence on this movie. The plot(s) go in various directions, are often out of sequence, and then come full circle at the end. This is not an insult to Guy Ritchie for using Pulp Fiction as an influence. After all, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
What makes this movie so good is the dialogue. My personal favorite characters were the 3 black thieves AND their dog. No point quoting them here because their thick English accents and the nature of their dialogue are necessary to put the humor over the top. I never laughed so hard at dog and his squeaky toy. Priceless!
I will admit, from a realistic standpoint, there were several things that bothered me about this move. The biggest problem was the non stop shooting of guns in public places, city streets, and no one notices or even cares? In one scene, Bullet Tooth Tony enters a pub, orders a dark beer, sits at a table and proceeds to pull out his gun and describe it to the thieves. Five minutes later he empties no less than two clips inside the bar, and no one notices????
I know, I know, I am nitpicking. Perhaps Guy Ritchie addresses this issue by having the police show up in full force at the end of the movie. Don't worry, that wasn't really a spoiler as they aren't really relevant.
As I said, this is a good movie. I highly recommend it.
Now you know what you are in for!