by Chris
Feb 6, 2001

What do you get when you cross unlicensed boxing, an Irish gypsy, an 86-karat diamond and human-eating pigs?

Apart from an obvious and disgusting punchline (I can't believe you would think that, you sicko), you get an incredibly entertaining film.

Snatch is director Guy Ritchie's follow-up to the much-acclaimed Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. Does Snatch live up to the raves that LS&2SB drew?

You'd better believe it.

There are two main plot thrusts that intertwine during the film. In the first, Turkish (Jason Statham) is an unlicensed boxing promoter. He and his partner, Tommy (Stephen Graham), become indebted to criminal boss Brick Top (Alan Ford) when the boxer they promote, Gorgeous George (Adam Fogerty), is unable to fight in a match with one of Brick Top's fighters. Brick Top tells the promoters that he won't seek retribution if they get another fighter to take a dive in the fourth round of the fight. The new fighter is Mickey (Brad Pitt), an Irish gypsy.

The second plot thrust involves the heist of an 86-karat diamond by Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro), and the comic misadventures that ensue as the diamond changes hands (well, maybe "comic misadventures" isn't quite the correct description -- "Saved By The Bell in Hawaii" this film is not).

The two plot thrusts meet for a blind date, have dinner and drinks, gaze into each other's eyes, hop a plane to Vegas and get married. Yep, there's some good writing here, folks.

The characters are interesting and diverse, and I don't know if a more talented ensemble could have been brought together to give life to the roles. There wasn't a poor performance in the movie. Especially notable were the performances of Pitt, Ford, Dennis Farina (as Cousin Avi, a diamond fencer from NYC), and Vinnie Jones (as gangster Bullet Tooth Tony).

The use of music in this film was brilliant. The pictures and music intertwine as tightly as a music video (without the annoying boy bands). Plus, I don't know that I've ever heard jazz flute used more effectively.

Make sure you aren't late to this film -- the opening credit sequence is incredibly entertaining, and informative (there's a lot of characters to be introduced).

What else can I say about Snatch? Oh yeah, GO SEE IT.

RIGHT NOW.

Or you and I will take a visit to my uncle's pig farm.