See it on the biggest screen you can--this is about the ride, not the destination

Rating: 8/10 (20 March 2011)

Snatch (2000)
Director Guy Ritchie is most famous as a filmmaker, and that says a lot, because he could have become known as Madonna's husband. And he survives (and thrives, commercially) on two knock out, inventive, slightly zany and slightly brilliant films, "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" followed by this one. Both have a bigger than life, faster than life, slightly impossible feel that is something like Tarantino in "Kill Bill" or maybe Jarmusch in "Ghost Dog."
"Snatch." is the second of the two and is a bigger budget, more mainstream movie in some ways, and this might seem to be a good thing, though there are avid fans of his first film for its fresh intensity, for sure. "Snatch" is kept alive by the constant breaking of the time line, the really absurd and kinetic presence of Brad Pitt (who is brilliant), and the overall plot line(s) which are filled with twisted archetypes. It's also well constructed and filmed without becoming slick. But in the end, you'll find that the two movies are too similar to make sense in some ways. And both films have this sense of being actually about nothing, in the end. They are just wild rides.
But such rides. Sometimes you just want to get in your car and drive and have things happen, and so they do here, and it's totally Fun. Fun capital F because in a way, why not make that the goal. Clearly there is no social message or deep psychology at work, which is just fine with me. And so you need to position yourself to float in this world, and see how richly constructed it is, you just watch and have things happen. On those terms it's remarkable.