Snitch [DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet] Review
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SinopsisJohnson stars as a father who goes undercover to take down the drug cartel that framed his son for a drug set-up. Dwayne Johnson explodes into action as a man determined to bring a Mexican cartel to its knees. Johnson stars as a successful businessman who learns his son faces 10 tough years in a Federal hole for drug possession. Convinced it was a set-up, he volunteers to become an undercover informant and infiltrate a ruthless cartel. Now, with his back against the wall and his life totally on the line, he must expose the true criminals before they discover his identity.Since he made the jump from professional wrestling superstar to Hollywood action hero, Dwayne Johnson has shown an uncertain talent that hasn't always complemented his outsize physique. But in
Snitch his massive build is beside the point and he's fully in charge, leading a terrific ensemble cast through an unexpectedly nuanced movie that's most surprising for what it's not. Though there's plenty of vivid action, this is no superhero story and Johnson is no superman. As John Matthews, a successful businessman and flawed family man, he shows a humble range of emotional depth and non-athletic grace in a story founded on genuine drama and a collaborative creative effort. Matthews runs a prosperous construction company that's lately been struggling under a bad economy. He's somewhat estranged from a son (Rafi Gavron) by his first marriage until a big mistake pits the good-kid teenager against harsh federal drug sentencing mandates. Rather than fate the boy to 10 years of hard prison time, the frantic Matthews does everything he can to find a way of making himself an informant. If he can catch a big-fish drug dealer, the Drug Enforcement Administration and US Attorney will free his son from a destiny he doesn't deserve in the first place. The title resonates through multiple characters, but especially Matthews as he surreptitiously pressures Daniel (
The Walking Dead's Jon Bernthal, giving it his all), an ex-con employee, to get him an introduction into the Mexican drug cartel pipeline. It's a palpably dangerous prospect all around and the movie is genuinely effective in telescoping the deadly menace of the drug underworld. Matthews realizes he has underestimated the risk, especially after Daniel hooks him up with the serious gangsterism of Malik (Michael Kenneth Williams, channeling the same chilling vibe he gave as Omar on
The Wire). His enormous muscles quivering in real fright, Matthews is drawn in way over the terms of the deal he made with the feds. Soon he's using one of his company's semis to transport drugs, then million in cash for a notorious cartel chief, the suave and quietly murderous figure known as El Topo (Benjamin Bratt). Scared as he is and sensing that he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't, Matthews makes his own way, going off the trails laid by both the cartel and the DEA. The result is a taut finale that ties the story into a brilliant ribbon of drama and expertly staged action. In addition to Bernthal, Williams, and Bratt, who all convey an elaborate background and authentic shades of character in their brief scenes,
Snitch also features an exhilarating performance from Barry Pepper as a fanatical undercover DEA agent. Susan Sarandon is a little more generic as the politically ambitious US Attorney, but all of these characters are integral to the movie's vibrancy and mold the understated script and skilled direction of Ric Roman Waugh (
Felon) into an enormously engrossing experience. Dwayne Johnson holds it together against type and with a determination that exposes the heart hidden behind that big, bulletproof persona.
--Ted Fry Click Here To Get Snitch [DVD + Digital Copy + UltraViolet]
