The Usual Suspects (Special Edition)

Rating:
Summary: A Sure Favorite!
Review: I LOVED this movie!!!! Whether you own a dozen or a thousand videos, you'll find yourself reaching for this one again and again. The acting is superb. The characters are grouped as criminals similar in their chosen professions, but each one is diverse. It's one of those movies you think to yourself that you know where it's going, then you find yourself dumbfounded. If you're the type that foresees plots, or thinks you do, this one will be a challenge for you.

Rating:
Summary: a NOT so usual film
Review: When I first began watching this movie, I was captivated. Its detailed plot and fascinating characters made for a remarkably intelligent story. If anyone cannot understand this simple movie, they should be shot. This was a fabulously written and directed movie with excellent actors; it is the one of the best modern classics of our time.

Rating:
Summary: A thinking man's film
Review: If you snooze you lose. I know it's a bad saying, but it's good advise to use before watching 'The Usual Suspects'. Although it's almost impossible to fall asleep during this film, if you do it's not worth trying to recuperate. There is so much information crammed into two hours of film, one minute of not paying attention will require at least ten minutes of explanation.

The film begins with the ending when a cargo ship, docked in the New York City harbor, blows up. Behind a clump of boating equipment, we see a scared Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey), watching a man in black kill Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), blow up the ship, and then walk away. Now the plot is set. Through the police questioning of Mr. Kint, done by inspector Kujan (Chazz Palminteri), we go back to before the ship's land siege, finding out about a police line-up, and the mysterious man in black named Kayser Soze.

Kevin Spacey, Kevin Pollak, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, Stephen Baldwin, Garbriel Byrne, and others, along with a brilliantly written screenplay, make The Usual Suspects one of the best thrillers and most unpredictable films of all time. I bet you can't watch it only once.

Rating:
Summary: Superficially Entertaining, but Emotionally Unsatisfying.
Review: When the Usual Suspects was first released, it polarized critics and audiences alike. Some lauded the film for it's sinuous, unpredictable plot and nimble direction. Others dismissed it as tediously complex and incomprehensible. As with most such films the truth (if I may be so presumptuous) is found between the two extremes.

The plot revolves around a police interview with a disabled criminal (Verbal Kint) and a detective (Dave Kujan). Verbal was one of five individuals who were blackmailed to rob a ship by a mysteriously unidentified criminal mastermind named Keyser Soze. The other four were killed during the robbery attempt. Dave is questioning Verbal to find out what happened. The film contains several flashbacks as told by Verbal. The film does not reveal the identity of Soze until the conclusion.

The characters in the film are generally well acted, but superficial; they only serve as vehicles to propel the plot. There isn't anything intrinsically wrong with this, but it proves to be a crucial flaw later on.

The story of The Usual Suspects is very intricate and difficult to follow. Though this makes the film challenging at times, it's often so convoluted that I was often tempted to give up on it. During the interview, Verbal eventually gives contradictory accounts of what happened. This a crucial element of the story that will determine how the viewer interprets the ending, either with genuine surprise or disbelief.

The conclusion is what seems to make viewers love or hate this film. Most people seem to be genuinely surprised (though some have said they weren't at all) by the identity of Soze. Though surprising, the ending seems to require that the viewer suspend a tremendous amount of disbelief: It just doesn't SEEM to make sense. It would be one thing if the film out-smarted me, I would have appreciated that. Instead, the implausibility of the conclusion left me feeling cheated.

If the film is examined more closely it may make more reasonable sense than it seems (it is complicated enough to allow this possibility), but the superficial nature of the characters doesn't motivate the viewer to do this. The characters aren't interesting enough to make us want to understand the conclusion. I don't think this flaw completely detracts from the strengths of The Usual Suspects, but it is certainly significant.

The Usual Suspects does have quite a bit going for it: Riveting direction, interesting dialog, good acting, and a very clever (if often incomprehensible) plot. The screenplay and story have many of the same elements as Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. What makes Pulp Fiction a superior work is that Taranino never pretends to make the film more than what it is: A clever, unpredictable piece of storytelling, making the viewer feel surprised and satisfied. In The Usual Suspects, Singer seems to tease the audience into thinking that there is more to the film than there truly is (or at least seems). Consequently, the viewer feels short-changed.

The Usual Suspects has been most accurately likened to a cinematic card trick: While you are watching it, the slight of hand is entertaining the first time you see it. Once the trick is finished, you probably won't think about it again. The Usual Supects is worth seeing for it's considerable initial entertainment value, but once you find out the ending, what occurred before is no longer interesting (or relevant). Since it conveys no emotional resonance, the film isn't worth seeing more than once, and certainly isn't one of the best films of the 1990's.

Rating:
Summary: These kind of movies come along once every 5 years...
Review: There is nothing I can say that hasn't already been mentioned in the previous reviews, except that you will get more out of this movie by purchasing it than renting it. By that I mean it takes on a life of its own once you get to the ending, and you'll want to see it again and share it with friends. Enjoy this, it is a rare treat and I hope you can appreciate it for what it is, a clever, slick, mind exercising journey.

Rating:
Summary: Watch Carefully
Review: To enjoy this movie you must watch it all the way through or you are going to be so lost. Plot twits and character flaws can make the story line change faster than Arnold shwartinager can say "I'll be back". Try not to get confused by the fast cuts between the story teller and the story. Whach for the changes in time and changes in location wich can throw you off. Now that I've given you fair warning I will tell you why the movie is so good.

The story is about 5 reapet offenders brought in for a police line-up for a crime none of them were invovled with, and how the whole thing falls apart afterwards. When a crime lord named Kyser Sosay interfeers and get these cons the biggest job they ever had or ever will have.

Another reminder; watch carefully, and don't watch it a little bit at a time watch it all the way through and enjoy one of the best movies there is.

Rating:
Summary: Best Movie Yet
Review: I would say this by far one of the best written screenplays around, along with amazing acting. Definetely a must own.

Rating:
Summary: A Fantastic Movie
Review: This is one of those movies that tricks you into thinking you know what is really going on. You never really get the movie until the last minute -- and you sit there dumbstruck until all the credits go by, and then you go "whoa, I need to watch this again."

Of course, you would think that after the first time it wouldn't be such a great movie because you already know what happens. This is far from the case. This movie was entertaining to me every single time I saw it. It's clever, it's funny, it's dramatic, it's everything. Kevin Spacey is a great actor and tells the story of Keiser Soze better than anyone else. See the movie!

Rating:
Summary: Best movie in at least the last 10 years.
Review: The most useful advice I can give you about this film is this:

Donot read any more of this review or any other review before you seeit. In fact, don't even read the box. See it knowing as little aspossible, I saw this film totally cold and really enjoyed it and wastotally surprised. I think it's easily the best film I've seen in thelast ten years. ....

The casting andacting is exceptional. The highlight of the film is the line-up scenewhich is really funny (the director filmed the scene a number of timesand chose the best take) but the film as a whole is of a very highstandard and will keep you guessing until the end. ....

Kevin Spacey is brilliant and did win an Academy Award for hisrole but everyone else is just as exceptional. Particular attentionshould be paid to Stephen Baldwin who finally found a role and a moviethat can really demonstrate that his talent. As the hyperactiveMcManus who knows no fear and has some of the best dialogue in thefilm to boot.

There isn't a weak link in the film and the 5 actorswho are "the usual suspects" convey exceptionally a groupwho find themselves trapped into a job that is seemingly unachievablebut come agonisingly close to carrying out the impossible. As McManussays as they survey the mission that seems like certain doom"There's nothing that can't be done.". Through sheerbravado, they very nearly pull it off.

Will you like this film?Well, with any one person it will be impossible to predict but the wayratings systems like this always work, as most people have given thisfilm 4 or 5 stars, it means odds are you probably will.

A great filmwhich won the writer, Christopher McQuarrie an Academy Award for BestOriginal Screenplay and a must see.

Rating:
Summary: What A Shocker!
Review: Everyone told me this movie was awesome but halfway through the film, it didn't seem spectacular, just good. But then this movies wraps itself around you and it really holds you in, shocking you over and over. Besides the awesome ending, the performance by Kevin Spacey is brilliant!