British filmmakers have
always had a special place in Hollywood. From Nolan's intellect to Boyle's
narrative, each Brit filmmaker has had a unique way of making a mark for
UK on the screen. In the same league I would like to write about one of my
favorites - goes by the name Guy Ritchie.
Ritchie started off with
a bang. "Lock, stock and 2 smoking barrels" and "Snatch." Ritchie's movies are known
for their fast-paced, action packed rollercoaster rides. Having a central
focus on crime capers, Ritchie makes deft use of character-central shots (how
the camera is never off-set from the character but is central to the viewer), his indulgence
on flash cuts and tight controlled zooms. There have been some vague
similarities between his and Tarantino's style - His apparent indulgence
to weave out the story with quirky pacy editing have enthralled movie goers
both the regular viewer and critic alike. Movies with the legendary dry and
witty Brit humor - essentially in a sense that is NOT too loud but not
subtle either, but very appealing to the movie-watcher, like a connoisseur
able to enjoy a sip of centuries old wine every time he looks at the
scene.
If L2SB was about four
friends having to pay off half a million pounds to avoid facing a mob boss's
wrath, Snatch follows two parallel plots -that of a huge diamond - the
subject of a heist and the other one following a upcoming boxing promoter
trying to stamp his ground in unlicensed boxing. Both these movies have well
defined characters of depth, with interweaving storylines combined with
Ritchie's whiplash kind of storytelling. Whilst L2SB had a relatively
unknown cast (Jason Statham was a newcomer in late 90s), Snatch had an ensemble
cast and did most of its part right, essentially hitting the right notes,
albeit drawing a heavy influence from the former. Both the movies have
well etched gangsters with struggling protagonists alongwith a right proportion
of dull-witted criminals adding to the humor.
If there is one
essential thing that is a huge characteristic of Ritchie movies - it has to be
the unique camera and editing. STYLE has to be Ritchie's middle name. All
characters in his movies have sufficient style and substance, and Ritchie
relies on his kinky sense of narrative to seamlessly blend in different
parallel plots together with the help of concocting stylized editing.
I would like to bring
forth how effectively he has used music and editing to bring out an analogy.
For instance, in a scene from the blockbuster 'Snatch' , a couple of goons
chase a man whom they catch eventually, while in another parallel sequence
a rabbit is seen escaping the clutches of 2 rabid dogs - all this quite
enjoyably constructed making it for a fine viewing experience. Whilst many
such sequences have their own saucy appeal, the beauty of Ritchie's movies
lie in their originality, like a blast of fresh British panache reminiscent of
quirky unconventional cinema.
So why do you have to
watch Guy Ritchie's movies ? Let me get this straight. Ritchie's movies
are far from serious. It is not just another crime drama and far far away
from the Michael Mann types. Sure, you may never see say - Al Pacino or
DeNiro in a Ritchie movie, but if you are looking for something far away from
the usual, say have a simple
plot but mix it up with
a slew of characters having style-induced depth to them alongwith saucy
editing, cockeneyed slang and sarcastic Brit humor, then you will
definitely NOT be disappointed.
The last 2 Sherlock
series have a bit of commercialization, in a sense when you have a big studio
to back you up, you get talented actors like Downey Jr. and Jude Law you
better deliver the goods. Ritchie's movies have moved away from the sense
of direction redolent of his first two, and it is as good if not better. Ritchie's
reliance on editing as well as giving huge importance to well-defined
one-on-ones between the 2 central characters have their own charm with Downey
effectively carrying out witty conversations with his own characteristic sense
of nonchalant humor. Ritchie's sense of direction have combined well with
Downey's acting and Sherlock has turned out into an enjoyable viewing experience,
something I doubt any other director would have brought out so effectively,
given that the conventional comic book Sherlock Holmes was a detective par
excellence and the sense of mystery has been brought out wonderfully in
the movies, which I am sure any Holmes fan would agree with me.
On a finishing note, Guy
Ritchie is a director a serious cinema lover ought to know about, and L2SB and
Snatch are right up there followed by RocknRolla and now the Sherlock
Series. In short, his movies are worth every single Mb on your HDD.
- Prash
Prash's musings can be found on "Distorted Pandemonium" @ prashslash.wordpress.com
