Beyond the "Snatch" of a diamond - "I Went Down" is a gem of a sleeper

Rating: 6/10 (25 February 2001)

Writer-director Guy Ritchie's "Snatch" is full of British humor and jabs at the underworld of thieves, swindlers, and the not-so-smart crooks. Its visual presentation maximized graphic design communication styles like typographic key words and symbolic icons as connections or suggestive rebus. The whole movie is kind of like flipping through a comic strip, albeit it's breezy and fun, enjoyable if you like that sort of thing. It's an ensemble cast with catchy names: Benicio Del Toro is Franky Four Fingers, Brad Pitt is One Punch Mickey, Rade Serbedzija is Boris The Blade, and Dennis Farina is Cousin Avi. Watch out for the little dog - you might say Ritchie's attention to details includes direction of this star of a dog.
Another film that comes to mind on 'quirky' small time gangster tales is the Irish flavor "I Went Down" 1997. It has more substance and depth of plotline and characters; another darn good performance from Brendan Gleeson (who was superb as Martin Cahill in writer-director John Boorman's "The General" 1998, based on true life story.) Peter McDonald of "The Opportunists" 2000 was the reluctant protégé alongside Gleeson in this small gem of a sleeper. "I Went Down" has its equal fun logic, yet it's a crime story with a difference beyond Hollywood hang-ups. A tip: do not try to see "I Went Down" in a hurry, it's kinda like a steady road trip, as the two leads get to understand each other better, and perhaps reveal the purpose/philosophy of it all. After all, there's more than meets the eye (or ear, rather) the banters we hear between Gleeson and McDonald - it's a well-written script by Conor McPherson, and directed by Paddy Breathnach with Irish finesse.