Violence, darkly comic and otherwise, is in nearly every scene. Death by firearms, by plastic bag asphyxiation. Suicide by gun to head. Character hit by a car. Car accidents. Violent bare-knuckle boxing matches. Dogs attack characters. One of the lead characters feeds the chopped-up pieces of those he has recently had killed to pigs. As they suspect that a dog has swallowed an expensive diamond, characters discuss opening up the dog with a knife and removing the diamond. Characters hit with bats, knocked out.
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Alcohol drinking. Cigar and cigarette smoking. Characters drink vodka and beer. During a wake, characters are shown drinking to excess, including one of the lead characters, who acts surly and violent before passing out. He's shown the next day to be extremely hungover.
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Parents need to know that Snatch is a 2000 dark crime comedy directed by Guy Richie. Violence, darkly comic or otherwise, is a feature in almost every scene. Characters are killed through firearm violence, plastic bag asphyxiation. Bare-knuckle boxing scenes are extended, violent, and bloody. All of the characters are gangsters and criminals, most of whom drink, smoke, swear, and brawl on a continual basis. Characters use frequent racial, ethnic, and religious slurs. In this criminal world, the issue of law is nonexistent. "F--k" frequently used; "motherf--ker" and "c--t" also used. A brief scene in a bar includes topless dancers. A deck of playing cards with photos of bare-breasted women is seen. When it's believed that the dog in the room has swallowed the missing diamond, characters suggest opening up the dog with a knife in order to find the diamond. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Snatch is one hell of a ride laden with snappy pacing and darkly hilarious dialogue. The timing and comedic pacing are among the best I have seen in films of this kind, with one interwoven set of characters and story blending seamlessly into another. The movie well made, acted and directed and is thoroughly entertaining. However, due to the frequent graphic violence and language this film is best saved for an exclusively adult audience. The film is not serious and the violence and language contribute to the overall comedic effect, but may still be too much for those under 18 or simply oversensitive to adult content.
What's the Story?
Set in London, Guy Richie's violent crime caper SNATCH follows three sets of characters who are all after a stolen diamond. Business partners Turkish (Jason Statham) and Tommy (Stephen Graham) team with Irish boxer Mickey (Brad Pitt) in a devious plan that has Mickey purposely losing a fight. In another corner are a Russian mobster and his partner-in-crime Franky Four Fingers (Benicio Del Toro); the third team includes New Yorker Avi (Dennis Farina) and his hired hand Bullet Tooth Tony (Vinnie Jones).
It would probably take two or three viewings to work out all the plot twists of Snatch. Actually, it's to the credit of writer-director Guy Ritchie that these tangled relationships are as clear as they are. But plot isn't what this movie is about. Mixing Damon Runyon's love of lowlife lingo ("Who took the jam out of your doughnut?") with a bit of Tarantino-ish violence, the plot is just a frame for a gallery of eccentric characters, lively dialogue, and offbeat situations.
The ensemble cast provides many delightful characterizations, including British comic Alan Ford as crime boss Brick Top and Brad Pitt as an Irish gypsy with an accent so thick that no one can understand anything he says. Energetic as it is, Snatch isn't for all tastes. The incessant violence will bother some viewers, particularly a few scenes that cross the line from comical to nasty.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the ways in which violence was conveyed in this movie. How was it used for comedic effect, for instance?
Why do you think there continues to be an appeal for movies filled with "anti-hero" characters -- characters who continually make bad choices, resort to crime and violence to get what they want, curse, drink, smoke?
What do you think would be the challenges in making or writing a movie like this one in which there are so many lead characters?
MPAA explanation:
strong violence, language and nudity
Last updated:
June 24, 2024
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