Directed by:
Bryan SingerScreenplay:
Christopher McQuarrieCinematography:
Newton Thomas SigelComposer:
John OttmanCast:
Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, Suzy Amis, Giancarlo Esposito, Dan Hedaya (more)VOD (3)
Plots(1)
When a burnt-out ship is discovered in San Pedro Bay along with 27 dead bodies, US customs agent Dave Kujal (Chazz Palminteri) is assigned to work the case and thinks his best chance is to interrogate the one survivor of the massacre, Roger 'Verbal' Kint (Kevin Spacey). Sitting in an office at police headquarters, Kint, who suffers with cerebral palsy, begins to tell his story, and the more he says, the more Kujal becomes convinced that the unseen master criminal Keyser Soze is the man behind it all. (Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM))
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Reviews (13)
A police interrogation of a criminal outcast pieces together a flashback mosaic of past events leading to the tragic explosion of a boat in the harbor. Sophisticated dark film-noir in which, in the end, everything is completely different than it seems even at the penultimate glance. A perfect screenplay built on flashback sequences and detailed characterisation, made for an unbelievable $6 million. One actor who was still unknown at the time got very lucky here in that he got a role that made him a demigod for quite some time. I want a sequel in which I can enjoy his character for more than ten seconds so that he doesn’t remain just a mythical revelation to me!
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A script this perfect would have deserved a little more dynamic direction in my opinion. Singer does conjure up the occasional really playful scene (Kobayashi in the elevator, the cut from the scene where the cops pick up Kevin Pollak), but the whole thing has too much of an 80s static feel for me. It's helped quite a bit by the literally brutal scenes (plus, where else are you going to see a child getting killed in a shot). Otherwise, though, it's a terribly entertaining film.
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It’s funny how some films are fully appreciated only after a second screening, and The Usual Suspects is one of them. The story, which at first I found uninteresting and didn’t understand, now completely engrossed me, and I enjoyed every clever scene, all the sharp dialogue and, above all, I admired the performance of Kevin Spacey, which was absolutely amazing and deserving of an Oscar award as few others have. Thanks to its relatively short runtime, the story flows like water, Singer's imaginative and stylish direction, together with a precisely scored soundtrack, gives it enormous depth and power, and then there’s the final twist with the legendary villain Keyser Soze, who gives his rivals the shivers just by his name alone, puts the crown, making it one of the best crime films of all time. Simply brilliant craftsmanship, with a refinement, rawness and elegance that cannot be fully grasped in one viewing. 98%
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Today, I only made sure I still enjoy the film as much as I did all those years ago. I wouldn't dare say it is flawless, but it's shot in such a way that makes me ignore all the shortcomings. The cast was stellar, and as usual I enjoyed the acting performance of the one who must not be named by the decision of the International Denunciation and Inquisition Movement. Well, as I don’t give a rat’s ass about fanatics, Kevin Spacey remains one of my top ten favorite actors.
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This film left me absolutely cold. For me, a very overrated affair. The actors were uninteresting, the only one who interested me here was Kevin Spacey, the rest I didn't care about. I found the plot entertaining at first, but after a while it got annoying to the point of being boring. The final twist is fine, but I can't give it more than three stars. Nothing for me. 55%
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