Resist the temptation to stop watching it

Rating: 9/10 (11 August 2001)

"Snatch" spent only a brief time in the theater for those committed to actually sitting and watching films. I did see this during its short US theatrical release, having been fortunate enough to be in a larger market city on business at the time. Back then I never found time to post a review, though. Now it's on DVD and I took another look. Same movie, smaller screen, just as good. I predict "Snatch" will be one of the most rented but least watched' home videos of the year because its plot is so incomprehensible (though not near as much as Guy Ritchie's previous, "Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Barrels"). People will give up on it after a time and go get a sandwich, iron clothes, play cards, etcetera. But it's fun enough to keep on as background static just for say, the bits with the dog who eats the squeaky toy and Brad Pitt's hilarious, unintelligible Irish(?) accent.

Just a few words about Brad Pitt: he's quickly becoming one of my favorite actors, mostly because of how he completely commits to every role he's in. He has a healthy, George Clooney-like mentality toward his choice of projects (like George, he's chosen a Coen brothers production, "To The White Sea" for his next), saying pooey! to the Hollywood hit machine and choosing roles that are actually interesting. Occasionally he'll earn a paycheck with dreck such as "Meet Joe Black." In this film he plays Mickey, a gypsy (or to your average Welshman, "piker") with an iron jaw and a monster right hook.

Pitt plays Mickey with such genius. See, when you need to understand him, you can. When it's just for laughs, well, you'd need subtitles. The accent (I could be wrong on this), like the lazy eye in `Twelve Monkeys,' was his idea and is intended to poke fun at the way American audiences couldn't understand a word anyone was saying in "Smoking Barrels." Pitt's every move is calculated, but he does it with such abandon you have to give him credit.
Grade for `Snatch': A-