A wild and tangled crime adventure
involving gangsters, Irish gypsies, and a dog that can't
stop swallowing things, SNATCH is both hilarious and
action-packed. Jewel thief Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del
Toro) is in London en route to New York, where he will
deliver an 86-karat diamond to his boss, Avi (Dennis
Farina). A compulsive gambler, Franky is tempted into an
illegal boxing scam, becoming the unwitting suspect in a
robbery committed by bumbling pawnshop owners Vinny (Robbie
Gee), Sol (Lennie James), and their oaf-of-a-driver, Tyrone
(Ade). Meanwhile, novice boxing promoter Turkish (Jason
Statham), and his dim-witted partner, Tommy (Stephen
Graham), move into the "big time" with twisted
crime boss, Brick Top (Alan Ford), and Mickey, a mumbling,
unhinged Irish gypsy boxer (Brad Pitt). Thrown into the
proceedings are killers Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones) and
Boris the Blade (Rade Sherbedgia). A stylized work with a
gritty urban soundtrack and a cast of intricately developed
characters, SNATCH delivers superb and witty dialogue while
depicting one of the more zany, complex diamond heists ever
portrayed in film.
Theatrical release: August 23, 2000 (U.K.); January 19,
2001, (U.S.). The budget for SNATCH was only $6 million.
Shot in London, with principal photography for the film
beginning in October of 1999. After Guy Ritchie's first
feature, LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS, Brad Pitt
phoned the director and asked to be in his next movie. Pitt,
who normally gets paid around $20 million for a film, agreed
to a much smaller fee and the same trailer as the other
actors. "He was one of the lads right from the
start," said Ritchie about Pitt, "a top boy who
doesn't mince around." Pitt's character, Mickey, was
originally supposed to be a huge, overweight Irishman, but
the part was altered somewhat when he signed on to the film.
On the set, Ritchie devised a "fine system" to
keep a tight ship: fining cast and crew for everything from
having mobile phones, arriving late, taking naps during
shooting, to being "cheeky" and unfunny, and
moaning. "Unfortunately, I was one of the ones who
suffered the most," said Ritchie of his system. Ritchie
has said that casting was key: "The roles needed
coarseness as well as credibility. It's no good getting
Shakespearean actors to play violent cockney gang
members." Scottish actor Ewan Bremner makes a cameo as
Mullet. British electronica artist Goldie appears briefly as
Lincoln. The film was originally titled DIAMONDS, but the
title was taken by another film before production began, so
Ritchie had to change it to SNATCH. The Austin Chronicle
named SNATCH one of the 10 best films of 2000.
"...Intelligible...stylish...humorous....Downright
Tarantino-esque in the best sense..."
"...Mr. Ritchie seizes the bespoke machismo of
British gangster movies and gives it an action picture's
ferocity....[Mr. Pitt's] brio is a reminder of how adept he
is at low comedy..."
"No snatching!"--Vinny (Robbie Gee) admonishing
his dog for snatching and swallowing a whole squeeky toy
"London. You know...fish, chips, cup-o-tea, Mary
Poppins. London!"--Avi (Dennis Farina), explaining he
has to go to London to get the diamond "I don't care if
he's Mohammed Imar Bruce Lee, he's goin' down in the
fourth!"--Brick Top (Alan Ford) to Turkish (Jason
Statham) about Mickey's (Brad Pitt) fight "Bon
jour?"--Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones), politely
answering his car phone after he's repeatedly slammed
someone's head in the passenger-side door
"...Ritchie is a talented director....His slick
camerawork and editing suggest a born storyteller..."
"...Pitt is in excellent form....Clever and
funny...[It] offers the opportunity for a variety of actors
-- ranging from the very experienced to the novice -- to
shine..."
"...Slick, quick and light-fingered....A brisk,
cheerfully amoral entertainment..."
"...Ritchie is a zany, high-energy director....He's
interested in voltage....SNATCH is fun to watch..."
