Anything to declare? Yeah. Snatch is marvelous

Rating: 10/10 (19 June 2009)

Guy Ritchie's debut "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" was a refreshing, lean, original, and very funny British mixture of Action Comedies/Gambling Dramas/Crime Thrillers. "Lock, Stock.." also introduced Jason Statham with whom Ritchie went on to making two more films and Vinnie Jones, a football player turned an actor. Ritchie's next movie, Snatch, was my introduction to his work. It is simply marvelous and my favorite. It uses the same broken narrative as Lock and Stock, intertwines numerous plot threads which intersect and play off each other, and follows the characters who are over-the-top deliciously evil, marvelously clueless and always funny. The plot revolves around a stolen diamond as huge as these historic celebrated stones you might have seen on display in the Crown Jewels of the United Kingdom in London Tower or Washington Museum of Natural History or in The State Diamond Fund of Moscow Kremlin. No wonder that every character in Snatch tries to get it. Among them, low-levels gangsters of all sorts of mafia, including Jewish, Russian, and London based. Add to the mix the Irish Gypsies "who can't be trusted" because whatever they say could not be understood even by the native English speakers. Don't forget a sadistic crime boss who keeps huge pet pigs with very specific diet. And then there is a dog that likes to snatch and swallow things. All sorts of things.
I can watch Snatch from any scene and I would not switch the channel on it. I think it is the best Ritchie's film. It is so perfect in its nastiness. It does not preach anything; it does not have deep message or any other purpose than to entertain and entertain it does. I've seen it so many times that I happily expect the familiar hilarious quotes or scenes or exchanges between the characters which are the best part of the movie. I pay attention to the soundtrack and to Ritchie's style that is known for frequent fast cuts and quick edits. The same technique was also successfully used in his Rocknrolla in one of the most hilarious sex scene I've ever seen. Ritchie likes to return to the same point in time several times to tell the story (or to show it) from the different points of view. The scenes of violence, sometimes grotesque, have been staged and choreographed so well that you can't help admiring them and smile while watching. I enjoy acting by everyone and I believe that the famous (and not so famous but very talented) actors had as much fun playing their outrageous characters as I did following them on the dark and gloomy streets of London underworld.
Snatch is enormously enjoyable -on one condition though. You have to appreciate this kind of dark humor that goes together with strong violence. Otherwise, I have something to declare - stay away from it.