The Usual Suspects
THE USUAL SUSPECTS (18)
D: Bryan Singer
Gramercy/Polygram/Spelling/Blue Parrot/Bad Hat Harry
(Bryan Singer & Michael McDonnell)
US 1995
96 mins
Crime/Thriller
W: Christopher McQuarrie
DP: Newton Thomas Sigel
Ed: John Ottman
Mus: John Ottman
Gabriel Byrne (Dean Keaton), Kevin
Spacey (Roger 'Verbal' Kint), Chazz Palminteri (Dave Kujan), Stephen Baldwin (Michael McManus), Benicio del Toro (Fred Fenster), Kevin Pollak (Todd Hockney), Pete Postlethwaite
(Kobayashi), Suzy Amis (Edie Finneran), Dan Hedaya (Sgt. Rabin)
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing
the world he didn't exist."
***SPOILER WARNING***
One of the more intelligent thrillers of contemporary
cinema, Bryan Singer's crime masterpiece puts a unique spin on the whodunit genre thanks to the excellence of Christopher McQuarrie's Oscar-winning screenplay.
The movie opens with the interrogation of Roger 'Verbal'
Kint (Kevin Spacey), telling detectives of how a simple identity lineup was arranged so five criminals could meet and participate in a series of crimes masterminded by notorious gangster
Keyzer Soze. But who is Keyser Soze?
Once you've seen the movie once, it begs to be asked
again, as the pieces of the puzzle fit in place, but if you've yet to watch it, don't read any more of this review.
The cast ensemble are excellent and it's a real labour of
love for debuting director Bryan Singer, every frame of action laced with stylish mystery. The true star is Kevin Spacey, with arguably his career best performance as the handicapped criminal
who puts all the pieces of the puzzle together and ultimately delivers the final twist.
Amongst the best films of the 1990's.
10/10
