THE USUAL SUSPECTS
Starring Kevin Spacey (LA Confidential), Stephen Baldwin (Fled), Benicio Del Toro (Excess Baggage), Gabriel Byrne (The End of Violence), Kevin Pollak (Canadian Bacon), Chazz Palminteri (Mulholland Falls), and Pete Posthelwaite (The Lost World)
Written by Christopher McQuarrie (Public Access)
Directed by Brian Singer (Apt Pupil, Public Access)
In 1995, Brian Singer and Christopher McQuarrie dreamed up a simple concept: the audience isn't stupid. From that, they went on and created the most plot-driven, intricately pieced movie in the last 25 years. The result: the Usual Suspects, one hell of a movie that redefines the word plot twist.
The story is convoluted, and is really confusing to read, although easy to follow on screen. Special investigator Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) grills"Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey), a crippled con-man who is the lone survivor of an LA boat explosion that claimed more than 20 victims. Kujan wants to confirm that his nemesis, the rogue cop Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), is actually dead. Kint relates the majority of the film in flashback, beginning with the fateful day when five shifty guys meet in a police-station lineup in New York City. Along with dour Keaton, Kint encounters cheerfully sociopathic McManus (Stephen Baldwin), mordantly sarcastic Hockney (Kevin Pollak), and Fenster (Benicio Del Toro), whose speech is virtually incomprehensible. Together they plot to steal a small fortune in gems from "New York's Finest Taxi Service"--crooked cops who provide escort service for visiting drug kingpins. What follows is a shell-game of violence and betrayal, all hinging on the identity of a mysterious villain called Keyser Soze.
The film is brilliantly compact: its the shortest 90 minutes you'll ever spend in a movie theater. The cast is exceptional. Palminteri shines, he is brutally honest, a true cop, one who is going after the whole story because its there. Byrne is terrific, his brooding character, his seriousness is needed to supplement the hysteria of Benicio Del Toro, who is a riot as Fenster. Del Toro is brilliant, his lines are a jumbled mess, you can't understand a word the man says, but it sure is damn funny. Baldwin is also very good, he is careful, methodical, and cold, a chilling character with a nasty streak of hot-blooded sarcasm. Pollak is also terrific as usual, a very good character actor.
However, this will be forever known as the film that launched Kevin Spacey. Spacey is simply breathtaking, he is a force on screen, giving a magnetic performance that jars the senses at the end of this twisting maze. Spacey's performance will be remembered for years, for it is the best of his career, it may be the best supporting actor performance in the last 50 years. Verbal Kint is a clever storyteller, weak, oppressed, and gleefully evil to the bone, yet pitiful, one who draws sympathy. The film is a good one, a decent film until the last 10 minutes. What this film boils down to is the greatest ending in cinematic history, for me at least. The revelation of Keyser Soze, the closing gunfights, it is something wondrous. You have to see this movie about 10 times to believe what they do.
Kudos to McQuarrie and Singer for giving the audience a delightful, fast-paced, furiously plot-driven movie with quirky characters, phenomenal acting, and some hilarious moments stuck in the middle. McQuarrie refuses to believe the audience is dumb. Without furnishing too many details, he concocts his story and lets it run, hoping the audience gets it at the end. We do. This might just be the finest cinematic puzzle ever created. Kudos also to Singer and John Ottman, who created the score. They both create what is a true film-noir setting, carefully setting up this intricate puzzle until the final, jarring ending. There are flaws: more questions raised than answers, lack of character development, and no strong female characters (save one). However, the plot, and that stunning ending, make up for all the flaws and more. If you haven't seen the movie, rent it. Watch it. Then rewind the tape, and watch it again. Trust me, you'll be amazed.
FINAL: **** out of ****
Movie Reviews by Sridhar Prasad
Movie Reviews starting with "U"
James Brundage's review of The Usual Suspects
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Berge Garabedian's Review of The Negotiator
James Brundage's Review of LA Confidential
Sridhar Prasad's Review of LA Confidential
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