Snitch

Starring The Rock, the latest crime drama from Ric Roman Waugh, Snitch, lulls one into believing that it’s jumping on the bandwagon of Taken with a father who takes matters into his own hands…

SNITCH (2013)

The latest crime drama from stuntman-turned-director Ric Roman Waugh, at first glance, lulls one into believing that it’s jumping on the bandwagon (in a big rig) of Taken with a wayward father who takes matters into his own hands for the sake of his child.

While the B-movie sensibilities of that franchise generally overshadowed any strong semblance of ideological aspiration it might have been aiming for largely in favour of by-the-numbers action jollies, Snitch comes off better in that it feels more motivated in its desire to cinematically address its socio-political context whilst still providing enough whiz-bang action set-pieces to satisfy fans and features a surprisingly emotive performance from leading man Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.

Snitch is based on a true story that was the subject of a Frontline documentary about the unjust policies for those facing mandatory minimum prison sentences in the States despite not actively dealing in narcotics.

Johnson plays John Matthews, the owner-operator of a small construction company whose naive 18-year-old son Jason (Rafi Gavron) is set up by his friend as a drug dealer in order to reduce his own sentence after being busted himself. Facing a requisite 10-year prison term that could potentially balloon to the point where he won’t be released until a few years shy of his 50th birthday unless he follows the same pattern of his so-called friend by entrapping other would-be dealers, Jason’s situation looks progressively bleak and is worsened by the fact that he is an instant target for other prisoners, often showing up during visiting hours bearing fresh cuts and bruises. Feeling responsible for his son and fearing a prolonged stay in prison will spell an early death for him, John meets with US Attorney Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon) who agrees to reduce Jason’s sentence if John himself can provide her with an arrest despite his neck being the sole one on the chopping block.

While the poster suggests yet another cookie-cutter action vehicle for The Rock to flex his pecs in, the film is kind of a surprise in that it manages to deliver beyond the supposedly preordained expectations of its star and the usual trappings of the genre. It adheres to them now and again for old times’ sake, but there’s a largely restrained quality about the whole thing and a solid foothold in character dilemma and political diatribe ensures a consistent level of emotional investment.

Dwayne Johnson’s performance, though not exempt from the occasional melodramatic one-liner, is a fair distance apart from the rest of his filmography and some naysayers may find themselves looking at the WWE strongman’s acting career in a more positive and different light. Susan Sarandon’s presence manages to give a touch of A-list lustre to the proceedings but although the scenes between her and Johnson are engaging enough, her character is mostly expository.

The remainder of the cast is rounded out by a collection of familiar primetime faces such as The Walking Dead’s Jon Bernthal, Michael K. Williams (The Wire, Boardwalk Empire), Harold Perrineau (Lost, OZ), Nadine Velaquez (My Name Is Earl), Melina Kanakaredes (Providence), Benjamin Bratt (Private Practice, Law & Order) as the Mexican kingpin of a drug cartel, and a strong supporting slot from a heavily goateed Barry Pepper (The Green Mile, The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada, True Grit). It is Bernthal however, who gives perhaps the most compelling performance as an ex-con on John’s payroll at his construction company trying to do right by his family but he’s eventually convinced by his boss to use his connections in order to get him up close and personal with K. Williams’s Malik, a menacing drug runner who’s just so happens to be a key component in seeing about Jason’s release.

For the most part, Snitch is a politically fueled drama with leanings toward gritty action. Given that the premise is based largely on fact, it’s not such a cinematic stretch to have someone fighting the war on drugs while at the helm of an 18-wheeler but the mere presence of high-octane chase scenes and repeat gun fights inevitably lends the film a slight vulnerability to cliché. Thankfully, Roman Waugh understands as a director that the action elements function best in concentrated bursts to keep things level-headed (even if the shaky cam appeared to have a life of its own during the opening arrest scene) and while the more discerning action junkie may feel left wanting a little more bang for their buck, the set-pieces they do get leave enough of an impact to at least resonate well enough until the next one.

Although it’s no masterpiece and could conceivably pass as a double bill episode for a TV show in the same vein as Breaking Bad or The Wire, Snitch ultimately plays better than one would expect splicing suitably potent action scenes with a decent bout of social commentary to give it some gravitas, and a strong ensemble cast spearheaded by a welcome change of pace in the acting chops department by Dwayne Johnson. Given the resent resurgence of frosty "geriaction" stars dusting off their AKs and doing the rounds all over again, one hopes that Johnson continues this kind of trajectory as an actor in the coming year to shake things up in the action camp for the better.

??? stars out of 5 (Solid)

Reviewed by Arlo Hollands

Playing in NZ cinemas from 16 May 2013

Running Time: 112 min