With his 6'5 frame, burly physique, and boundless charisma,
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was destined to grow too large for WWE
rings. He's succeeded where other wrestlers (Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin) couldn't
with a willingness to expand beyond the obvious action roles he was born to
play. Johnson turns in a rare dramatic performance in Snitch, a movie inspired by a 1999 episode of Frontline that weighed
in on the pros and cons of mandatory minimum sentencing for drug dealers.
John Matthews (Johnson) runs a successful construction
company and lives in a luxurious McMansion with his second wife (Nadine
Velazquez) and daughter. His ex (Melina Kanakaredes) and estranged son, Jason
(Rafi Gavron), live with modest means. Jason foolishly accepts a package of
ecstasy sent by his best friend, not realizing that it is being tracked by the
DEA. Jason's pal has narced on him to get out of serving a mandatory ten years
in prison for drug distribution. Jason is given the same deal, except he's not
involved in the drug trade whatsoever. He has no one to inform on and no desire
to entrap his friends. At the mercy of Joanne Keeghan (Susan Sarandon), an
ambitious prosecutor bucking for a congressional seat, John proposes to work
undercover to snare high profile dealers to earn his son's freedom. In order to
get an introduction into the underworld, he enlists the reluctant aid of an
ex-con in his employ named Daniel (Jon Bernthal), a former gangbanger trying hard
to go straight.
Snitch is directed
by former stuntman Ric Roman Waugh, who co-wrote the script with Justin Haythe
(Revolutionary Road and the upcoming Lone Ranger). The story strains
credibility, especially when John researches drug cartels on Wikipedia than
drives to a grimy street corner to chat up a random crook. Even in his deepest
desperation, a sharp businessman like John should have known better. And when John mows down members of a Mexican
cartel in his 18-wheeler while wielding a shotgun, you can't help but feel Snitch giving up on its sermonizing.
Johnson equates himself well in his most dramatic role to
date. Jon Bernthal, who made his name as Shane on The Walking Dead, is cast as that character's polar opposite. He
gives the best performance in the film, which may have been more interesting
had he and Johnson switched roles. With his bulging biceps hidden within the
sleeves of his thick jacket, Johnson engulfs the frame too often to play the
everyman. The supporting cast includes Barry Pepper and his tremendous goatee
as the DEA agent handling Jason's case, Benjamin Bratt as a Mexican drug lord
known as El Topo, and Michael K. Williams typecast as a creepy drug dealer in
the vein of Omar Little.
Snitch is a pedestrian
action movie masquerading as a socially conscious drama.
Rating: ** (*****)
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