El infiltrado

Snitch (2013)

*** (out of 4)

Surprisenly effective drama about a father (Dwayne Johnson) who agrees to go undercover after his son is arrested in a drug bust, which could cost him at least ten years in prison. The father goes undercover to bring down a Mexican drug lord and soon finds himself in over his head. SNITCH was based around actual events, although I'm guessing a lot of stuff was either left out or just blended together to get this story. With that said, those expecting a non-stop action picture like the trailers made this out to be might be disappointed because for the most part this is a straight drama. The action doesn't come into play until the very end of the picture but this certainly isn't a negative thing. The best thing going for the film is actually the performance of Johnson who turns in the best work of his career. What really shocked me was how believable he was in the role of a blue collar father who will stop at nothing to protect the son who really doesn't care for him. I really thought Johnson stole the picture with his acting because the screenplay really gives him quite a bit to play. Not only does his not play your typical action hero, he manages to make you believe that he's this scared guy who finds himself in over his head but at the same time he knows he must do what he has to to protect his son. The supporting cast is also extremely good with Susan Sarandon turning in a nice performance as a woman making the deals with the father. Jon Bernthal offers up a sensitive and believable performance as a father who gets dragged into the mess and the underrated Barry Pepper is extremely good in his role as an agent. Michael Kenneth Williams also delivers a good performance as a drug dealer. The film is pretty laid back for the most part and I thought this was an interesting approach by director Ric Roman Waugh who proves he can handle telling a story and casually building up the suspense. There are certainly some flaws with the story including it being way too easy for this father to get close to a major cartel but this isn't bad enough to where it kills the film. SNITCH is a pretty good drama that manages to grab your attention and really bring you close to this father character. A lot of credit goes to Johnson.

A disturbingly realistic view of the drug problem in this country is the shocker element that makes SNITCH work so well - the extent of drug cartels on both sides of the borders, the power of the kingpins controlling them, and the current laws about felonious drug dealing - all combine to make this film not just another good guy bad guy film: this is a slice of life as we are living it.

Construction company owner John Matthews Dwayne Johnson) learns that his estranged son, Jason (an impressive Rafi Gavron), has been arrested for drug trafficking. Facing an unjust prison sentence for a first time offender courtesy of mandatory minimum sentence laws, Jason has nothing to offer for leniency in good conscience. Desperately, John convinces the DEA and the opportunistic DA Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon) to let him go undercover to help make arrests big enough to free his son in return. With the unwitting help of an ex-con employee Daniel (John Bernthal in a superb performance), John enters the narcotics underworld where every move could be his last in an operation that will demand all his resources, wits and courage to survive.

Ric Roman Waugh wrote (with Justin Haythe) and directed this tightly woven tale and has managed to make a focal point of the problems of divorced families (Melina Kanakaredes is the ex-wife and Nadine Velazquez the current wife) in the care of their offspring. Dwayne Johnson finally has a role that defines his talent and he is supported with a terrific cast (in addition to the actors mentioned above) of Michael K. Williams as the head of the US side cartel, Benjamin Brat as the head of the Mexican cartel, Barry Pepper, JD Pardo, David Harbour, Lela Loren and Harold Perrineau. Yes, there is the requisite car chases and violence, but there is also a study of father/son relationship healing that is equally powerful. The film is much better than expected. Grady Harp, June 13

I've been a fan of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson since his wrestling days in the late 90's. Now his movies are a mixed bag for me. I like his action movies (Faster, Fast 5) but I'm not a big fan of his family films (Tooth Fairy).

After seeing the trailer I expected this film to be an action film where The Rock kicks ass most of the movie. However, this film was more of a crime drama with more depth and less action than I thought it would.The story itself is inspired by a frontline documentary of the same name which deals with mandatory minimum drug laws in the US. It shows as the movie has a high stakes, gritty plot with a good message at the end.The movie also has strong performances from the great cast of actors involved. The rock has come a long way when it comes to acting and this is one of his best films. overall, 2013 is gonna be a big year for the rock. If this movie is an indicator of things to come, It will be a good year for him indeed.

Overall:7/10

Recommendation: Felon (2008) is a similar gritty crime drama from the same writer/director. If you liked snitch. check it out

I went into this film alone, on a lazy Saturday to get my mind off things. I wasn't expecting much, but I didn't want it to be a waste of 11 bucks. Knowing the market of action/thriller blockbusters, I guess I was expecting cars blowing up, gun fights all through the movie, and some crazy, somewhat unrealistic hand to hand combat by our huge friend Dwayne Johnson. I was expecting you're average, predictable "normal citizen suddenly becomes Jason Bourne" type action packed movie. If you're expecting that, and ONLY that, you will be somewhat disappointed. Lucky for me, I am a huge film buff and am open to sitting through any movie of any type and I just look for something entertaining, and this movie did not disappoint in that regard. The first hour and a half of it can legitimately be classified as more of a suspense-drama than a thriller. The screenplay wasn't anything amazing, but I do think Dwayne Johnson might have thrown himself in the eye of some producers and directors who write him off as no talent. His acting made the movie as believable as it was, and along with some of the supporting characters, and gritty suspenseful situations, this film found a way to intrigue me more than I thought it would have. The quote at the end of the film spoke volumes as to what the message of the movie was, and I think it was very well put together. If you're going to see this movie solely for action/entertainment value, then you might not be so happy with your investment, but if you want a well rounded, legitimate movie to go when you're bored or with a friend, I would recommend Snitch.

This film is about a construction company owner who is forced to make a choice when his son got involved in a drug deal.

I thought that the film would be an action packed thriller, as The Rock usually stars in these films. "Snitch" turns out to be an ordinary father who fights for his son's freedom, as there is a law that encourages drug dealers to frame other people to get their sentences reduced. I very much respect the fathers love for his son, that he would do anything to get the son's sentence reduced. He had to cross many lives, deal with international drug barons and risk his life, and that is a moving plot. Though there is not much adrenaline pumping action, this selfless love more than makes up for it. Who would have thought that a seemingly ultra masculine action film would have such a moving element?