Bullet Points: Snitch (2013)
One of the most puzzling aspects of the criminal justice system in the United States are the maximum and minimum prison sentences for certain drug offenses. Get caught with the wrong type of drug, and you could be facing some serious prison time. You can make a great argument that sometimes the punishment doesn’t fit the crime. This is explored in Ric Roman Waugh’s Snitch.
- What is The Rock Cookin’?: Snitch is more of a forgotten film in the career of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. He plays a father who goes undercover for the DEA to save his son from a long prison sentence for drug possession. Joining The Rock are familiar faces such as: Susan Sarandon, Jon Bernthal, Barry Pepper, Michael Kenneth Williams, Lela Loren, JD Pardo, Harold Perrineau, David Harbour and Benjamin Bratt. Snitch definitely has a strong cast.
- The People’s Elbow: You would think the entire runtime would see The Rock laying the smackdown to a shit ton of jabronis. Snitch isn’t action driven. Instead, it is more of a character story about the lengths a father goes to save his son. We do have some action, and The Rock does look pretty damn cool driving a big rig truck. I do think fans of The Rock will appreciate his effort.
- Know Your Role: One thing I couldn’t help stare at was Barry Pepper’s beard. It is badass facial hair at its most badass. Pepper is the DEA Agent trying to keep The Rock from jobbing to the Mexican Cartel. We deserve to live in a world where Barry Pepper’s beard owns every scene it is in. Also, Jon Bernthal shows off his acting chops, and Michael Kenneth Williams aka Omar from The Wire is on fire as the baddie, Malik.
Don’t go into Snitch expecting nonstop action. You will be disappointed. However, I was entertained, and I actually cared about the characters. Much of that credit has to go to Ric Roman Waugh. A director who knows how to mix drama with sprinkles of action.
Bonus Bullet Points…
- PG-13: Snitch might be rated PG-13, but it has the feel of an R-rated tense action drama.
- Just Say No: Just kidding. But seriously, we need to talk about federal prison sentencing guidelines for drug offenses. I’m not exactly sure what they are today, but we need them to be reformed to reflect the times.
