The Usual Suspects
2.5/4
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollack, Benicio Del Toro, Dan Hedaya
Rated R for Violence and a Substantial Amount of Strong Language
"The Usual Suspects" is a mystery so convoluted that it essentially requires a play-by-play synopsis to figure out what is going on, or more appropriately, what really happened. An unreliable narrator, a plot that doubles back on itself and forces you to step back and analyze whether what you saw is the truth...the film is never dull. But it's also often incomprehensible.
27 men are dead on a pier in an apparent drug deal gone bad. But the $91 million haul wasn't even there. There are two survivors: one, a severely burned Hungarian criminal named Arkosh Kovash (Morgan Hunter) and the other, a meek con-artist with cerebral palsy named Verbal Klint (Spacey). Having been granted immunity, he's on his way out the door when he is stopped by Customs Agent Kujan (Palminteri), who wants to know the fate of cop-turned-criminal Dean Keaton (Byrne). Verbal tells how he, and four other criminals were arrested for a lineup, and after a small job, ended up running head on into the notorious criminal Keyser Soze.
The acting is solid on all fronts, with one special mention. The actor who has the most screen time is Kevin Spacey (which is ironic, since he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Spacey is good, as always, but the one who is more memorable is Stephen Baldwin. When he's over-the-top and energetic, he's not particularly menacing, but when he's low key (which is usually the case), he's a study in intensity. He uses his eyes to absolutely chilling effect.
I really liked how writer Christopher McQuarrie and director Bryan Singer develop the villain Keyser Soze. Any movie can say that the bad guy is ruthless and a total psychopath. They can even show it. But it takes skill and care to make the mere mention of his name chill the audience to the bone.
Sadly, the film's plot is often incomprehensible. Due in no small part to its structure, the film is very confusing, especially early on. The flashback scenes are easy to follow, but the verbal repartee between Verbal and Kujan is not (partly because there's a lot of metaphors and wordplay). In a way, the film is a lot like "Inception;" you kinda sorta think you know what's going on, but you're not sure. That being said, Christopher Nolan is a superior writer to Christopher McQuarrie and a better filmmaker than Bryan Singer.
While one needs an outline to follow the story, it's not completely without merit. Far from it in fact. As I said, the performances are strong across the board, the score by John Ottman is excellent, and there is some genuine suspense and menace in the film. I can't recommend it, but by all means go ahead if you think you're up to the challenge of picking apart the movie while you're watching it.
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollack, Benicio Del Toro, Dan Hedaya
Rated R for Violence and a Substantial Amount of Strong Language
"The Usual Suspects" is a mystery so convoluted that it essentially requires a play-by-play synopsis to figure out what is going on, or more appropriately, what really happened. An unreliable narrator, a plot that doubles back on itself and forces you to step back and analyze whether what you saw is the truth...the film is never dull. But it's also often incomprehensible.
27 men are dead on a pier in an apparent drug deal gone bad. But the $91 million haul wasn't even there. There are two survivors: one, a severely burned Hungarian criminal named Arkosh Kovash (Morgan Hunter) and the other, a meek con-artist with cerebral palsy named Verbal Klint (Spacey). Having been granted immunity, he's on his way out the door when he is stopped by Customs Agent Kujan (Palminteri), who wants to know the fate of cop-turned-criminal Dean Keaton (Byrne). Verbal tells how he, and four other criminals were arrested for a lineup, and after a small job, ended up running head on into the notorious criminal Keyser Soze.
The acting is solid on all fronts, with one special mention. The actor who has the most screen time is Kevin Spacey (which is ironic, since he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Spacey is good, as always, but the one who is more memorable is Stephen Baldwin. When he's over-the-top and energetic, he's not particularly menacing, but when he's low key (which is usually the case), he's a study in intensity. He uses his eyes to absolutely chilling effect.
I really liked how writer Christopher McQuarrie and director Bryan Singer develop the villain Keyser Soze. Any movie can say that the bad guy is ruthless and a total psychopath. They can even show it. But it takes skill and care to make the mere mention of his name chill the audience to the bone.
Sadly, the film's plot is often incomprehensible. Due in no small part to its structure, the film is very confusing, especially early on. The flashback scenes are easy to follow, but the verbal repartee between Verbal and Kujan is not (partly because there's a lot of metaphors and wordplay). In a way, the film is a lot like "Inception;" you kinda sorta think you know what's going on, but you're not sure. That being said, Christopher Nolan is a superior writer to Christopher McQuarrie and a better filmmaker than Bryan Singer.
While one needs an outline to follow the story, it's not completely without merit. Far from it in fact. As I said, the performances are strong across the board, the score by John Ottman is excellent, and there is some genuine suspense and menace in the film. I can't recommend it, but by all means go ahead if you think you're up to the challenge of picking apart the movie while you're watching it.
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