Rating: 
Summary: Great film- Del Toro should be a star!
Review: When I read these reviews, I was amazed to see that hardly anyone mentioned the incredible performance of Benicio Del Toro. As Fenster, Del Toro's abilities as one of the finest charcter actors of our time shine. His unusual delivery, impeccable timing, physical acting and expressive features allow him to give his character amazing depth. He creates layers for his characters and systematically peels them back. His mumbling, hiariously accented delivery of his lines and his jerky movements provide the film with the comic releif it needs. You may not know what to make of Fenster (or even what he's saying), but you're garanteed to laugh. Del Toro has amazing charisma and steals all of his scenes. My only complaint with the film is that he doesn't get enough screen time. With several films coming out soon, he will hopefully get the recognition he deserves. I can't praise him enough- he is fantastic. In addition to Del Toro's magnetic performance, Kevin Spacey's portrayl of Verbal Kint is womderful. Both men are tremendous physical actors, defining their characters through their way of moving and speaking. Spacey's acting is so different from that of a typical Hollywood star that I'm not at all surprised by some of the negatice reactions to it. However, Spacey plays a man who himself must act during his testimony, which justifies his somewhat self-conscious and akward performance. The rest of the cast is also terrific, with the possible exception of Gabriel Byrne, whose performance seems strained at times. Stephen Baldwin is a real surprise- he creates a volatile and violent character. Kevin Pollack's charcacter provides a sarcastic and down-to-earth center for the more flamboyant cast members. Both Palminteri and Postlethwaite give strong performances. As for the plot twist at the end- it may not be entirely surprising, but it doesn't negate the entire film. Most of the major events have to have happened for proof of them exists. The point is that Soze wanted to destroy the men who were in his way without giving away his identity or that of his colleagues. I also think he wanted to have a little fun with the arrogant cops. Regardless of the ending, the movie is worth seeing if only for the acting. It is also stylishly directed and filmed with a smart and darkly humorous script.
Rating:
Summary: Watch for the ending, then again for the film.
Review: It's been five years since the release of The Usual Suspects, so you should have gathered by now that there's a bit of a twist at the end. (Don't worry - nothing shall be given away.)The first time you see this film, it's the twist that will blow you away, leaving you gasping for air on your sofa, unable to stop grinning at the sheer brilliance of the final loop-the-loop in the rollercoaster ride that is the incredible script. You'll notice the acting and the dialogue, of course, but it's the ending that will stick in your mind. Wathc it again, however, and it's a whole new experience: just take a look at the little titbits that were missed the last time round but can be enjoyed even more now that you know how it turns out. The twist will still hit you, but it's not as strong. The third time, however, is the real turning point. This viewing will ensure that the dialogue is imprinted on your mind, and the fantastic performances won't be forgotten in the fog of amazement that the ending pumped out the first couple of times. When it comes, the denouement won't be such a thrill any more, but on the plus side, you'll enjoy the two hours or so that precede it even more. If you haven't watched it yet, buy it quick and prepare to be blown away, and if you have watched it, watch it again. And again ...
Rating:
Summary: Like the sound of bat meeting ball on a 400 foot homerun
Review: One of the most important ingredients to a good adventure story is a great villain. Lord of the Rings has its marvelous villain, Sauron, and its fantastic secondary villains, the Ringwraiths. The Usual Suspects has one of the finest villains I've ever come across in a movie, scary Keyser Soze. This is a man who (allegedly - since we can't be sure of anything we're told) murdered his own family. I think it was a good touch to make him a Turk. (He is a Turk isn't he?) Nice choice for a westerner's fantasy of the most depraved villain on earth, a dangerous "Young Turk". Picture him with a scythe carving up his wife and kids. I dwell on this because Keyser Soze, horrid murderer, is the appeal of the movie and what the whole plot and surprise ending are about. To those reviewers who say they weren't surprised by the ending, all I can say is you're too damn smart for your own good, and I'm in Mensa, and I was surprised at the damn ending, so go rain on somebody else's parade, showoff. I found the ending as satisfying as a walk-off homerun. When people ask for my favorite movie of all time, this is one of those that I mention.
Rating: 
Summary: No Big Deal
Review: A nearly total bore. How can anyone speak of a surprise ending? It should be painfully obvious to anyone with sense enough to devote even a moment's thought to the story. That people are actually astonished by the alleged 'complexity' of this film is a testament to the way audiences have been dumbed down by years and years of mindless drivel. For real complexity, see Scorsese's Raging Bull, or Coppola's Godfather films. The Usual Suspects is like Tinkertoys compared with those works of art.
Rating: 
Summary: Hard to Follow
Review: I don't believe that you should have to watch a movie twice in order to "get it." A friend recommended I see "The Usual Suspects" after enjoying "The Sixth Sense" -- when I said that it felt good to be surprised. "The Ususal Suspects" fell short of surprising me -- my husband and I were watching for exactly what happened -- and the plot was hard to follow. The sequencing, specifically, made it hard to follow. I think the director was trying too hard to create the climax. It didn't feel natural. I don't get what all the hype was about.
Rating:
Summary: Is life a puzzle that fits?
Review: A lot is discussed about the plot, and many find it obliterates the movie and nothing doesn't make anymore sense: The sense is that Keizer Soze, whoever he is, wants to get rid of the one man who can identify him, and to get rid of all people who can retell the real story, besides that he is a good storyteller, still staying clear of any suspicion. What else is there to know? The story told is good, enthralling, good acting and the plot makes sense. Life isn't a puzzle that fits, is it?
Rating: 
Summary: The usual suspects
Review: First of all the movie is cool. It has a great story line plus it is simple. There are no huge dramatical special effects because the dialogue and the story line, in itself, hold there own. The two draw backs to this movie might be the actor Steven Baldwin, but still he held is own. The other minor detail about this movie on dvd is that the dialogue was hard to hear over the background effects and music. However, I'm content to have it in my collection of cool anti-heroe movies.
Rating:
Summary: "Plot twist" for the easily impressed
Review: I'll say something good first: the dialog in this movie is good, and generally well-delivered. The plot, however, is ridiculously contrived. Furthermore, this movie's claim to fame is its "amazing" plot twist. I have news for all of you who consider what happens in this movie to be a plot twist: THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PLOT TWISTS AND NONSEQUITORS. Once the purported "plot twist" occurred, the entire movie to that point no longer made any sense whatsoever. In a real plot twist, everything up to the point of the twist is explainable given the twist - you just probably wouldn't have thought of the explanation beforehand. With this "plot twist", you have to actively ignore the "twist" when thinking about the parts of the movie before it occurred, unless you really don't care that they're no longer sensible.
Rating:
Summary: Best Director Commentary EVER
Review: Enough praise has been heaped on this movie, that I feel I can focus just on the DVD itself. (Note: one of my favorite movies of all time). Specifically, I'd like to praise Bryan Singer and Christoper MacQuarrie for their director's commentary track. When we got our DVD player last year, the first DVD I rented was The Usual Suspects. We watched the movie all the way through (probably our 10th time seeing this film), and then put on the movie with the director's commentary soundtrack, thinking we'd see what it sounded like and watch it later. Two hours later, we realized that we had just watched the movie twice in a row. Singer and MacQuarrie speak in depth about writing this movie, about setting up the shots, about all the background detail in the movie, about the technical details such as sound, editing, and film score. I learned more about filmmaking from listening to their commentary than I have reading books on the subject. Since Singer and MacQuarrie are friends and business partners, it was entertaining to listen to their exchange; it was like getting the inside scoop from your best friends who happen to be filmmakers. I was enthralled the entire time. Since this was the first commentary I'd ever experienced, I figured it was standard for DVD director's commentaries to be so thorough, informative, and entertaining. I was wrong. I have yet to find another commentary this interesting, although I've experienced some awful commentaries (The Matrix) and one that was almost as good (The Prince of Egypt). If you love this movie, you HAVE to watch the DVD director's commentary.
Rating:
Summary: Just watch it
Review: This film includes one of the finest actors of our generation, doing one of his best roles. It is a masterpiece. Just enjoy it. watch it over and over. Let it work it's magic. You will enjoy it.
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