Father Geek here with a homegrown review of that sweet smelling SNATCH from across the Atlantic... I hope to get a wiff of this well-made one soon here stateside... sounds like I'll enjoy the Hell out of it... Here's the report from one of our British readers...

Well it's just my jinging luck, for the first time in my 29 years I get to go to the States for 3 weeks, as you can imagine, I was sooooo very excited at this prospect. I got to check out The Cell (dire), Hollow Man (Popcorn Fun), Space Cowboys(silly plot), and Coyote Ugly(Flashdance anyone?). However, my glee was soured somewhat before my departure when I realised that SNATCH was to open on 4th September here in the UK, bang smack in the middle of my vacation. With a slightly downhearted feeling I resolved to see the film immediately upon my return to blighty. Well, our petrol crisis slightly scuppered my plans, but I did get to see the film on Saturday (having returned on Thursday), was it worth the wait - hell yeah!! kind of.

Still reeling from the effects of jet lag (5 hour flight from Maui to San Fran, a 7 hour wait in San Fran Airport, a 10 hour flight from San Fran to Heathrow and then a 3.5 hour drive - all this with absolutely no sleep and only The Skulls on the plane to keep me interested - I AM NEVER FLYING UNITED AIRLINES AGAIN!!!), I settled down in the UCG Megaplex in Sheffield and eagerly awaited the film.

Now I'm sure that everyone knows the plot inside out - it's all about a stolen diamond - AND THAT'S IT!!. However, this gem purely acts as a catalyst for a series of situations and characters to be played out, and this is the films strength - FORGET THE FREAKING STORY, JUST SIT BACK AND ENJOY THE RIDE!!!

This film is essentially LOCK, STOCK 2, no matter what anybody else says, but only in the same way as Robin and the 7 Hoods could be classed as a sequel to Oceans 11, ie, mainly it's the same actors playing the same characters with different names - but who cares when it's this much fun.

It's a darker film than LSa2SB, but for my mind has more depth. Where as Ritchies previous opus was a flimsily thrown together story, SNATCH is a less flimisly thrown together story, but with more characterisations, if we forget the 2 main characters Turkish and Tommy - Don't get me wrong they are a necessity, and Turkish especially adds to the film, but unfortunately, they ain't given much meat to chew with. Jason Statham shines out, making the most of his lines, but these characters are the least interesting of the film.

Turkish and Tommy are illegal boxing promoters looking to make money in a shady world, they set up a fight with devious crime lord "Brick Top" - a FANTASTIC Alan Ford - who definitely says "cunt" or should I say "CAHNT!" better than anyone else. However their plans are scuppered when Pikey/Gypsy/Traveller "Mickey" ( Brad Pitt - more on this newcomer later), decks their fighter with one punch after a bust up over a caravan, and leaves them unable to fulfill their fight with Brick Top. Now Brick Top is not a man to be messed with, as he will quickly chop you up and feed you to his pigs who, he informs us "Can eat 2 pounds of raw flesh a minute." So how do they sort it out, well.......go watch the film you monkeys!!!

Now this makes it seem simplistic, but running alongside this story is a yiddish diamond theft in Holland, involving Benicio Del Torro (where da fuck did that accent come from), Dennis Farina, and Eastenders' own dodgy car dealer Mike "RICKY!!" Reid

Of course the two plots intertwine, through a Russian gun runner "Boris the Blade" (Rene Szerbvadfdlakj;ldsakj - or whatever), A hitman for Hire "Bullet Tooth Tony" (The excellent Vinnie Jones, far better than he was in Lock, Stock and despite Gone in 60 Seconds, proving that he can handle dialogue with faultless ease.), 3 guys holding up a betting shop and a Dog with what seems like an inherent hatred of long leather coats. Throw into the mix murder, more underworld villains and a very sharp script and you have SNATCH. A hugely enjoyable film, snappy, witty and damn good fun.

Let's come back to this new guy Brad Pitt, don't know if you've heard much about him. He's a pretty young boy, apparently he's married to someone from the t.v. show "Chums" or something - joking aside, he is excellent as the Pikey Mickey, his Irish accent hiding words and making him almost undecipherable, which is the whole point of the character. If ever I have seen one character make a film - this is IT! What with Fight Club and Snatch, Pitt is showing himself to be a true actor and not just a face. When I first heard that he was to be in the film I was skeptical, sure I like Pitt but I thought too much of the picture may have rested on him - I'm glad to say I was wrong, Ritchie thankfully uses his character as a crutch to the rest of the film, instead of the main point of the film and boy does it work.

Ritchies' direction is more assured than in Lock, Stock, and still has the flashy style of an auteur, however, this could be his downfall. He needs to change his style for his next film, and perhaps loose a bit of the gimmickery. Certainly, he should now leave british gangsters alone, he started the recent chapter with Lock, Stock and will hopefully close it with Snatch, and with one noticeable exception - the excellent Gangster No. 1., it's been a genre that has failed (Circus, Rancid Alluminium anyone?).

So in closing, go see Snatch, it's snappy, witty and enjoyable, even if it is just more of the same - Guy, just give us something different next time.

Till Next Time Harry & Co.

MARK

P.S. Vinnie Jones - hated him as a footballer, thought he was so, so in Lock, Stock...but he really comes into his own in Snatch - he's gonna be huge.