If there ever was a movie that could have a psychological disorder,
"Snatch" would be it.  This movie is an Attention Deficit Syndrome
sufferer's wet dream, with fast-paced banter, freeze frames with 
dialogue, jump cuts, and a lot of graphic detail.  It's a dark comedy that takes 
a look at the seedier side of London.  If "Notting Hill" was a color,
"Snatch" is its complete opposite.

I'll warn right now that plot is discussed but I am not giving any of 
the actual details away.

"Snatch" is like a cross between "Trainspotting", "Pulp Fiction", and
"Dick Tracy".  The various people in the movie have names such as 
"Boris the Blade", "Franky Four Fingers", "Bullet Tooth Tony", and "Brick 
Top",to name a few.  It's got the standard fare of Tarantino shots that
director Guy Ritchie (or Mr. Madonna since the wedding) uses liberally,
such as repeated uses of scenes, and seeing the same scene shot from a
different angle.  There are characters that are in the movie so briefly
that you barely have time to digest their importance.

There are a lot of shady characters in the movie.  In fact, there may 
not be one redeeming character in the movie.  We have Gypsies that are 
barely understandable and will rip you off any time they can, bookies, crooked
boxing promoters, jewel thieves, gun dealers, and mobsters -- all 
thrown into a pot and mixed into a stew. 

Brad Pitt is not in the movie as much as you would think a star of his
caliber would be-- he seems more than happy to let others shine in the
spotlight and that is good to see.  The same for Benicio Del Toro, who
plays a hapless courier.

The movie was a loot of fun for me to watch, but forget about following
who is doing what right away.  Imagine putting you head on the end of a
baseball bat and spinning around and around until you are dizzy. 
That's pretty much how the movie comes off in the beginning.  After a bit the
movie settles down into a somewhat coherent plot and a lot of funny
moments.  None of the characters in the movie are supposed to be 
anything more than human and you see a lot of bumbling and a lot of "gotchas" in
the plot as far as the audience is concerned.

If there is any problem with "Snatch" is that it may be a little too 
far above the heads of American audiences, who are used to being spoonfed a
plot and are drawn to movies for mainly the star power.  My guess is 
that many people went to see the movie because they wanted to see Brad Pitt 
and they walked away from the movie a bit disappointed and very confused. 
But if you want to get a taste of British cinema and see how a film can
capture grunginess without beating you over the head with it,, this 
movie should do you fine.

Overall though, I'd say you'll see this movie 2-3 times, once in the
theater and a couple of times on DVD before it settles down in your
collection waiting for someone to come over and borrow it.
 

-*(CC)*-
"Sapere Aude"