Snitch Reviews

I wasn’t really sure what to expect from this flick but since I have a weak spot for Dwayne Johnson and Susan Sarandon, I thought I might as well check it out. Eventually, I was at first rather positively surprised by the introduction. Indeed, everyone seems to agree that the kid made a stupid mistake by accepting the package and opening it but I don’t agree. I mean, at no point, he has said that he wanted to help his (supposedly) best friend to sell the dope and, yet, the guy sent the package anyway. Then, picture yourself as a teenager who has no real knowledge about the drug trafficking laws, would you really think of refusing the package? I mean, sure, after watching this movie, in his situation, I would definitely not accept it but, before, I’m pretty sure I would have done the same thing : sign for it and open the damned thing. So, the introduction was really strong and I was really wondering where the whole thing might go. Obviously, what happens next was rather preposterous (not only the father played by Dwayne Johnson with no police experience whatsoever becomes an improvised undercover agent but after only one delivery, he already gets in contact with a major player in the cartel) and there was way too much cowboy stuff at some point. And yet, I thought that the whole thing was most of the time quite compelling because even though the action was sometimes bordeline ridiculous, the motivations of most the characters really made sense and I think the whole thing is actually worth a look.

Some movies just have the we have seen this all before look about them. Can we fault a movie for having this type of plot, or is it merely just a product of a generation transfixed by big time explosions and big time action scenes with little or thought towards making a lasting statement. The problem there lies in, because many of these fairly typical movies of which are being spoken have the potential to make social and political statements. Yet they just simply don’t and what we are left as an audience is just another shoulda, coulda, but didn’t film.

After his son Jason is sent to prison for drug related crimes, John Matthews will do anything to get him released. After agreeing to work with the DEA, Matthews uses an employee of his business named Daniel James to help him get access to some of the drug runners in town.

Are we simply just not used to this from Dwayne Johnson. Is this just not the same tired old heroic performance from him that he has done countless times. All the arguments have been heard that this is a more fragile, vulnerable performance out of him. One might be able to give him props for that if it wasn’t one of the worst performances of his career. He just never looked or fit the bill. Everything seemed to play out perfectly, his lines seemed forced, his character never really taking shape. Perhaps I am being the Debbie Downer about the performance he did give, but with the talent that surrounded him Johnson just became the man wishing he had the talent to carry this film. If youre looking for pure muscle and adrenaline perhaps Johnson is the perfect man for the job; but if you are looking for skill, honesty and realism perhaps his counterpart in this film Jon Bernthal is the man of the hour. Skilfully, articulately, but not surprisingly proved to be the stronger link between the two of them, providing exactly what a typical action movie needed a character we could care about.

When you lose focus on the central character and his overall mission, the whole idea of the film seems pointless. At points during this film, Daniel James felt more like the main character whose eventual fate I cared about then whether or not Jason made it out of prison in the end. Perhaps it is because he is the key to all the other characters having an impact on the plot, or the fact that Bernthal is a solid actor but for some reason Daniel James the everyday man is just a much better character then John Matthews the heroic business man.

There is little about this film that is redeeming beyond the fact Jon Bernthal is fantastic, the middle act becomes fairly typical and never really goes anywhere, eventually setting up for an ending that is beyond absolutely ridiculous (a hard place to reach). Even despite the flaws at some point during this film you will root for either John or Daniel. It is that type of a film, with an under dog story that does pull you into its grasps. You may be like me and choose to root for Daniel James, or you may choose to root for the clichéd action hero, either way if this film makes its audience lock onto a certain character, the writers have done their job properly.

So far in the 2013, Jon Bernthals performance in this film stands as one of my favorites. I dig the guy. He has potential, I saw that while he was on The Walking Dead and he shows it here again. The future is bright for this guy, and one day he will be headlining films. Snitch is solid fun, don’t take it too seriously with its political and misguided messages. Enjoy it for a good character drama, with a decent story.

"What if I made arrests for him?"

If you come to 2013's Snitch expecting a fun action fiesta that makes good use of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's brand of charisma and machismo, this picture will disappoint. The marketing is a tad misleading, as this is more of a father-son crime drama, more concerned with family dramatics than big pyrotechnics. It's a tempting offer, but the execution is lacklustre despite solid production values, with stuntman-turned-director Ric Roman Waugh unsuitable for outright drama while The Rock is ill-suited for the role of an Average Joe. Snitch actually opens with the "Based on a true story" caption, though we've grown to take such claims with a massive grain of salt.

Agreeing to receive a delivery of ecstasy, 18-year-old Jason (Rafi Gavron) is promptly arrested and sent to prison, awaiting sentencing that could result in the college-bound lad being locked up for a decade. Jason refuses to be a snitch to get his sentence reduced, so his estranged father, John (Johnson), cuts a deal with federal prosecutor Joanne Keegan (Susan Sarandon). If John goes undercover and aids in the arrest of a drug dealer, Jason will face less prison time. With the help of ex-con Daniel (The Walking Dead's Jon Bernthal), John finds himself becoming involved with local crime lord Malik (The Wire's Michael K. Williams). John proves his worth by transporting drugs, and impresses major drug kingpin El Topo (Benjamin Bratt). As the stakes continue to increase, DEA Agent Cooper (Barry Pepper) grows wary of the outcome.

Snitch wants to be a dense crime picture like The Departed but lacks the sophistication to make it soar. The story is painted in broad strokes of black and white, with the good guys all noble while the drug traffickers are pure cartoons. It should have grit and surprise, with this grimy, drug-fuelled world full of horrific details and devious players. Instead, Snitch is a simplified television movie. It also uses several familiar action movie clichés, with unrealistically streamlined politics (it ends too abruptly and easily) and preposterous moments (it turns out Everyman John is a great driver and a decent marksman who can outsmart drug cartels and the DEA). This type of stuff is fine and forgivable in action films since they're fun and are not meant to be taken seriously, but such tosh in an agenda-oriented drama is hard to swallow. Snitch is an action film without the mindless fun and a message movie without the depth.

Admittedly, the look of Snitch is commendable, portraying this unsavoury world with unrelenting grimness. But the cinematography is extremely poor, leaning too hard on irritating shaky-cam and camera placements far too close to the action. It honestly feels like the picture has been zoomed in after the fact at times, and the cameramen keep suffering epileptic fits even while filming small dialogue moments. More bothersome is the pursuit of a PG-13 rating, which detracts a crucial sense of threat and makes this world less gruesome than it should be. Snitch's plot required a tougher treatment to make it work. As it is, it's generic and bland. Still, some moments work, including a pretty impressive finale. The technical contributions are also solid for the most part, except for the nauseating camerawork.

By putting Johnson in a dramatic role, the filmmakers were not playing to the actor's strengths. He's a movie star and a distinguished screen presence rather than a nuanced performer, and he makes sense as a hulking mass of muscle who kicks ass and takes names. Here, he does exude a degree of charisma, and he seems committed enough to the material, but he's not believable, especially when a few street punks manage to beat him to the ground with zero effort. The rest of the cast is decent, though. Sarandon is particularly good due to how hammy she is, rendering her scenes some of the most entertaining in the picture.

As Waugh closes the film, he condemns the first-offence prison sentences in the United States but doesn't specify who we are supposed to be angry with. The laws? The policy makers? The federal prosecutors? The judges? The parents? Or the idiotic kid who decides to accept a massive bag of drugs in his mother's home and sign for the package using his real name? Snitch wants to deliver a profound message amid its dramatics, yet it doesn't possess the complexity to register as anything more than meaningless entertainment. And as meaningless entertainment, the film comes up short due to how solemn it is.

5.4/10