With his new film Snitch, director Ric Roman Waugh takes a well-worn film plot (family man goes out of his way to do whatever he can for his distressed family member) and adds something that is rarely seen in these types of movies: a little heart.
On most occasions in this sub-genre of film, the violence outnumbers the heart tenfold, which I have no problem with. Sometimes, it’s great to walk into a film like Taken knowing exactly what you are going to get — nonstop action and little else. However, when a movie attempts to break the boundaries of its genre and turn the usual tropes upside down, I will applaud it.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Snitch was not some sort of game-changing film for the “father-vigilante” genre that has been going strong since the seventies. I don’t even know if I would recommend the film due to its clichéd dialogue and unexciting action sequences, but it did try something different. I have to give credit where credit is due.
After his son (newcomer Rafi Gavron) is arrested for distributing drugs and sentenced to ten years in prison, John Matthews (Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) is forced to strike a deal that involves him going undercover to infiltrate a drug cartel.
Johnson finally seems to be accepting the tough guy persona that was thrust upon him when he broke into acting, as this is one of many recent outings in the action genre after a string of family-friendly movies.
What brings Snitch an unusually present heart for its genre is the cast. It is a slow building movie with dialogue that is only present to advance the plot. Snitch also has very few action sequence, which is odd for a movie starring a former professional wrestler. The cast is the only component that keeps the film afloat, helped in large by an array of strong supporting characters.
Susan Sarandon lights up the screen as the no-nonsense attorney John Matthews is forced to strike a deal with. Barry Pepper, a personal favorite of mine, plays an experienced DEA agent with a sense of grizzled wisdom.
Fresh off his stint as Shane on AMC’s The Walking Dead, Joe Bernthal gives an emotional performance as Daniel James, a man with a family of his own to take care of who becomes Matthews’ introduction to the drug underworld.
The standout member of the supporting cast was, undoubtedly, Michael K. Williams as Malik. Playing a drug dealer, as he so often does, Williams steals every scene he is in. He is able to go from hilarious to terrifying with such an ease that the viewer doesn’t even notice the transition.
Despite the film’s numerous flaws (the worst of which is the plodding, uneven script), it was almost saved by exciting performances from all of the supporting players.
I commend the director and actors for trying to give this well-worn genre a dose of heart. However, it came at the expense of the film being entertaining. When I arrive at the theater to view a movie which involves “The Rock” going vigilante-mode to help his family, the last thing I expect is to be bored. I was not looking for profound thoughts or wonderful dialogue (which was not present), but I did expect to at least be fully entertained from beginning to end.