Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Snatch’

Written by John Edward Betancourt 

I think we can all agree upon the fact that crime related stories, tend to stick to two overall concepts; they’re either super serious and dark, or they’re designed to be a parody of the genre and that makes perfect sense. Because when an audience wants to be wowed by a powerful story involving clever criminals and their struggle to strike it rich or get back at the world, they want that story to have serious weight and keep the joking to a minimum. However, sometimes folks just need a good laugh, and that’s why crime stories that feature some solid comedy still find their way to the theaters now and again.
 
But while these two types of stories often find their own path in popular media, their existence does beg the question, is it possible to combine both of these notions and still offer up a successful motion picture? Because fusing two styles of storytelling is always a risky gambit and I’m struggling to put together a long list of successful crime comedies, simply because audiences tend to stick to one or the another. But once in a great while, someone figures out how to pull off that perfect balance of humor and crime, and the end result of this experiment is nothing short of brilliant and recently, I had the opportunity to revisit a film that meets that particular criteria in magnificent fashion in Snatch.
 
Now for those unfamiliar with this motion picture, in it we are treated to quite the sweeping tale, one that introduces us to a bevy of colorful characters who operate in less than noble territory and really that’s the first thing that catches your eye and draws you into this film; the fact that everyone here is in essence a criminal. Because most crime stories feature some kind of hero that’s involved in law enforcement. But here, it’s every man for itself and that alone makes it worth your while, but the movie still has a few more surprises in store for the audience. For you’re also treated to a pair of competing storylines, ones that manage to tie into one another in seamless fashion as they take you deep into the fascinating criminal underbelly that lurks in the United Kingdom. 

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​But what makes this film really work, since multiple storylines are a powerful challenge in their own right, are two key elements. First and foremost, the characters are a big part of this movie’s success since they are dynamic and fascinating and that’s an incredible feat in its own right, in part because this movie features a massive ensemble cast. But what truly makes this a feat, is the sheer the fact that every single character in this motion picture are fleshed out. Which means there’s no need to go off on a side tangent to learn more about them and what they stand for, you know all that within a couple of minutes of meeting them and to enhance that further, every last one of them goes on a complete arc as the story progresses, which is quite incredible to see in a story such as this and it speaks volumes to the wonder of the script.
 
Yet while all of that is fascinating to watch in its own right, what truly makes this motion picture worth the audience’s time, is that perfect blending together of comedy and crime elements and it is quite fascinating to see it come together on the screen. For example, this is that rare story that can instantly switch gears during an action sequence and drop the trilling visuals to give the audience a chuckle and that’s quite incredible for certain. Because some of the action sequences are intense and powerful and it takes some bravery to break that up for the sake of a laugh, but the story wouldn’t be the same without it and it really does work within the framework of the film. As do the sequences where some of the more seriously evil characters in this story do their thing, only to once again make us hold our sides with some of the hilarious things that come out of their mouth and really, all of these elements make this movie an absolute delight.
 
Because everything just works in this motion picture and it grabs hold of you and never lets go, and it also gets serious props for taking the time to reward the audience in unique ways and honestly, this is a movie that I genuinely love and watch whenever possible. Because not only it is that perfect blend of crime and comedy, it’s just an outright good movie, one filled with performances from some big stars, since Brad Pitt delivers a unique performance for the ages, and it also features Jason Statham playing it straight for a change. Well, straight-nosed compared to some of the other roles he’s taken on over the years and really, if you haven’t seen this one yet, please do. For it really is a unique treat, one that knows to satisfy an audience with a powerhouse story that puts a big smile on your face. 

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