Movie Review: Snitch (2013)
Posted By Michelle Ealey on February 22, 2013
Snitch, inspired by true events, is about John Matthews, a father who is willing to put his life on the line to save his son from a long prison sentence. The film is more than a routine action flick because of Dwayne Johnson’s performance. Vulnerable and relatable, Johnson gives Snitch an emotional core that connects with the audience. With Snitch, Johnson finally proves that he can carry a dramatic film.
Jason Collins is an ordinary teen. He does well in school, and he plans to attend college. Like many who don’t understand how dangerous it can be to hold a package for someone, Jason (Rafi Gavron) is set up by his friend to take the fall as a drug dealer. Facing the mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, Jason is pressured by his lawyer and his parents to divulge the names of other dealers, but Jason only knows of his friend. His mother Sylvie (Melina Kanakeredes) and his father John plead with him to set up someone, anyone, but Jason stands his ground and refuses to do to another what was done to him.
The goal of the harsh mandatory minimum sentence is to motivate those to turn on others higher in the organization. John takes advantage of this and convinces U.S. Attorney Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon) to make a deal. Keeghan, with eyes on a seat in Congress, finally relents after she realizes how persistent John is. They strike a deal; he gets her Malik, and she reduces Jason’s sentence.
Susan Sarandon as U.S. Attorney Joanne Keeghan
All John Matthews wants is to save his son. Dwayne Johnson is convincing as John Matthews, father, in every frame. At first, he thinks it’s a simple drug bust, and he is hard on his estranged son. Jason resented his father for moving on after the divorce; John lives in a big house with a new wife and daughter while Jason and his mom live in a small house. Jason and his mother aren’t struggling, but they are not living the high life of his father, the owner of a construction company. Johnson’s John grows from unwavering and stern father to understanding and respecting his son’s actions. Johnson is known for his over-the-top wrestling persona “The Rock,” but none of that exaggerated behavior is in this film. Johnson shows John’s growth with a subtlety I did not know he possessed. Johnson allows us to see the stress and the pressure wear on John; he tries to keep his emotions locked behind a firm veneer, but tears form when he learns Jason is in the infirmary because Jason was beaten again. The demands of the situation forces John to dig deep into his will, his heart, to find the strength he needs to remain upright and get through the day, and Johnson makes sure we see every moment of John’s struggle.
John is not alone in his mission. After he got beaten up during his first outing to find a drug dealer, John enlists Daniel James (Jon Bernthal) to introduce him to a contact. Daniel is fighting his own war; he has two strikes, and a third will mean a long stretch in prison. Bernthal’s Daniel is a coiled snake. He hides under his hoodie, but he’s alert, ready to strike anyone who threatens him or his family. Daniel works hard to keep focused on living the clean life, and John’s offer is one he doesn’t want to take. John offers money, and then more money, but Daniel refuses until he sees his son hanging with gang members. Daniel can’t afford to live in a better area even though his wife works nights. To better his son’s life, Daniel agrees.
Jon Bernthal as Daniel James
Both John and Daniel have to live up to the expectation that the patriarch must be the one who steps up when a crisis happens. The pressure from their society, from their families, places a burden on both men; they are the ones who have to fix things, to solve the problems, and to set things right. Johnson and Bernthal do an excellent job of showing us the strain these expectations bring.
Daniel introduces John to Malik (Michael K. Williams), a mid-level drug dealer. Malik is not a stupid thug; he knows how to test John to make sure he’s not the police. Malik, believing John’s cover story of needing to keep his company afloat, gives him a test run. John performs well during the first delivery, getting the attention of a larger fish, Juan Carlos “El Topo” Pintera (Benjamin Bratt). Dazzled by the opportunity to catch a bigger prize, the U.S. Attorney and John strike a new deal.
Dwayne Johnson as John Matthews
This is the world John has gotten himself into. Everyone is out for something whether they swim in legal or illegal waters. Keeghan wants a seat in Congress, the DEA is pressured to make the big bust, Malik wants his business to grow, and Pintera wants to remain in power. John realizes Keeghan’s bright smile is a mask hiding her own burning ambitions. Both Pintera and Keeghan are willing to use John to meet their own needs, seeing John as a cog in their machines, a cog they both know is expendable. John knows he’s expendable, and he feels responsible for getting Daniel into this situation. How John navigates the waters to get him and Daniel out is tense and thrilling.
Snitch is an enthralling crime drama with great performances from the entire cast, but this is really Dwayne Johnson’s show. Johnson carries the film expertly on his broad shoulders, never wavering or giving the audience a false moment. Gripping and suspenseful, Snitch explores the topic of drug trafficking and our judicial system without being preachy or heavy handed. The film is first a story about a man and his son, and John Matthews is a man we want to see best everyone, drug dealers and law enforcement alike.
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