Director: Ric Roman Waugh
Talent: Dwayne Johnson, Barry Pepper, Jon Bernthal, Susan Sarandon
Release Date: 21st June 2013
The ever-affable Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson shows off his serious face as a suburban Ordinary Joe who must go undercover with a drug cartel to get his son released from prison. There’s a lot of The Wire in here, as the film attempts to play off the grey areas of federal bureaucracy with the rap-drenched do-or-die life of the street. Unfortunately, Snitch is often more caricature than decent imitation. The most notable problem is it’s nearly impossible to see The Rock at first glance as an everyman and, despite his best efforts, he doesn’t really do a good job convincing us. Susan Sarandon makes a decent attempt at the ambitious and opportunistic city counselor but considering nearly every frame contains Mr. Johnson, we need more than a furrowed brow or a deep sigh to help convey the emotional weight aspired to by the movie. Don’t worry though, it’s not all thespian meanderings; there’s enough stray bullets on show here to give the Obama administration a conniption fit.
