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The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: And like that - he's gone.
Review: San Pedro: the aftermath of what looks like a huge explosion dockside. The burning wreckage of a boat and the charred remains of bodies are being dragged out of the harbour by the authorities. It seems like the classic heist gone wrong scenario: five criminals trigger bloody mayhem in attempting to hijack the exchange of [money amount] worth of cocaine between Argentine and Hungarian gangsters. Only two men escape with their lives, one of the Hungarian gangsters, Arkosh Kovash, and Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey in superb form), one of the five hijackers, and a cripple to boot.

In Bryan Singer's masterful directorial debut we learn how, six weeks earlier, the five men (Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollak, Stephen Baldwin, Benicio del Torro and Spacey) came together in the film's most famous scene - the police identity parade. The Usual Suspects line up for what turns out to be a trumped up police charge which none of them will admit to being implicated in. Locked up in the same cell for the night, they proceed to hatch a plot to rob New York's finest taxi service, a ring of corrupt cops who take bribes from criminals in return for immunity. Only Dean Keaton (the ever impressive Byrne) wants nothing to do with this plan. An ex cop turned criminal, with a reputation for absolute ruthlessness, Keaton is under investigation by FBI agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) despite his attempts to go straight. Keaton and Verbal are already acquainted after meeting in prison some years earlier, but Verbal is unknown to the others, and they will only include him in the job if Keaton is on board as well.

Through Kujan's interrogation of Kint we learn of the unfolding events and how he persuaded Keaton to become involved. The one flaw that each man shares is that he is addicted to committing crime, and predictably after the taxi service heist the men take on another job hijacking a consignment of diamonds. Unfortunately for them, they get involved with the wrong people and soon find themselves forced into taking on what seems like another, suicidal, job.

It becomes clear that there is more to the story than Verbal is letting on, but every time Kujan seems to be getting close to the truth, Kint goes off at a tangent. In parallel to this thread is the interrogation of the horrifically maimed Kovash, who is clearly dying, but before lapsing into unconsciousness in hospital manages to utter the name of the man who seems to be responsible for the carnage in San Pedro, "Keyser Soze".

The name inspires utter terror in Kovash and when Kujan mentions it to Kint, the same terror seems to take hold of him. Reluctantly, Verbal explains the myth of Keyser Soze - a mysterious underworld figure who every criminal has heard about, but whom nobody knows. Legend has it that back in the days when Soze was a relatively minor criminal in Hungary he butchered his own family rather than surrender to the local mob, proceeded to hunt down and kill his persecutors and their families, and then vanished, becoming a kind of bogey man for other criminals who, if they crossed him, inevitably came to a gruesome end.

A razor sharp script by Christopher McQuarrie (which won an Oscar for best screenplay), brilliantly taut and suspenseful direction and a fine ensemble cast make The Usual Suspects an electrifying experience. It possesses all the components to make it one of the best thrillers in recent memory, and will literally have you on the edge of your seat. The fiendishly confusing plot will leave you struggling in its wake and the ending is a stroke of sheer, twisted brilliance. Marvellous.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: i love it but only see it once
Review: a strong film with a superb acting job by kevin spacey hard to follow a fabulous ending its a strong mysery until the endif you liked this you would probably like la confidential spaceys best film yet tied with american beauty

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant piece of work
Review: A classic film about a group of bad guys who don't seem to understand that they are being manipulated by unseen hands. Great acting, dialog and suspense. It is hard to pin down which cast member is the star. Well written and directed and will keep you watching and guessing until the end, then for a while after that.
I had to watch it three times just to "get it". Grand stuff to watch with a few buddies, sipping some beers and puffing on a good cigar. Check it out

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: Definitely one of the best movies of all time.
Once again, Kevin Spacey (Se7en, American Beauty) delivers a performance deserving of Academy Awards... and the ending will leave you gaping unbelievingly at the screen on your first viewing and simply NEEDING to watch the whole thing again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Must See!
Review: This movie is phenominal. I have been a fan of this film for years. A power packed cast who are all at the top of their game for this film.

Excellent!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WHAT AN ENDING!!!!!!!
Review: this film is so good i had to watch it all over again straight after finishing it (this may have something to do with it also being fairly confusing..). the ending of his film sends hivers down my spine everytime and for those wh have seen it they will know what i mean. kevin spacey made hs big breakthrough in this film and he s now recognised as the best actor of the 90s. gabriel byrne and ben del toro are also excellent. if you like crime thrillers with a whodunnit thrown in, this is A MUST SEE...
deftonakid

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Stunning Performances and Great Mystery
Review: This is a twist on the WhoDunIt plot with powerful performances by everyone but Spacey in particular. I love this movie and watch it over and over even though I know the plot and the ending. If you like good mysteries or Spacey movies, definetely get this movie.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Ladies, give this one a chance!
Review: I saw this movie when it first came out on VHS about six years ago. I wasn't particularly interested in watching a "guy movie"...gangsters, shooting, drug deals, whatever...but my boyfriend at the time wanted to see it. I watched the first hour or so but eventually dozed off. I woke up in time to see the unexpected ending, a literal jaw-dropping surprise. Needless to say, I later watched the entire movie again (and again, and again). It remains near the top of my list of all-time favorite movies.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Who is this Imbecile!
Review: (...)Watching the faux plot unfold and realizing that Verbal uses as much truth as lies and misdirection to spin his tale is integral to the film and realizing "...its greatness..". The movie works not because of a borrowed "whodunnit" plot or "twist" ending but because of the fine scripting, direction and acting that came together to churn out a fantastic product.

(...)Watch this movie to see great performances and excellent direction. The plot will keep you interested and the subtleties of facial expressions the characters provide will lead you through the truths of the story just as they will allow you to realize where you are being lead astray. It is a fantastic movie and even those of you who just don't like this sort of film and perhaps enjoy something more simple yet well done and exciting, like Gladiator, I suggest you give this movie a try, you are guaranteed to like it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This is My Favorite Movie of All Time
Review: This movie is a "thinkers's" movie. I've seen it 8 times. If you like movies with unexpected turns, you'll love this movie.


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