Rating: 
Summary: Simply spectacular
Review: The godlike product of the collaboration between film-maker Bryan Singer (who would go on to direct "X-Men") and screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie (now a director in his own right with "Way of the Gun"), the Usual Suspects is that rarest of films - an intelligent, well-plotted thriller that does NOT telegraph every twist and turn to the viewer. An excellent ensemble piece, admittedly with Spacey and Byrne giving standout performances in particular. Visually thrilling, vibrant, and smart..."Suspects" is still being constantly analysed and discussed with joy by its viewers. The commentary for this DVD is also genuinely interesting and entertaining, with McQuarrie and Singer on fine form. Incidentally, the reviewer below from Austin, TX, who states that the film is poor (which is utter nonsense!) and urges people to see a good Bryan Singer film such as "LA Confidential" instead - don't trust his/her opinion; if they can't spot that LA Confidential was directed by Curtis Hanson, not Bryan Singer, then it kind of casts their reviewing skills into doubt, doesn't it? :)Buy this, and realise why you love films. You will NOT regret it.
Rating:
Summary: Perfect!
Review: Story: so complex it'll turn off less inteligent viewers. If you don't quite get it, find the screenplay on the web and read it. Some plot points are clearer, but it's good they left them out. Why? It works better without emphasizing them, just letting them linger in the background somewhere... Direction: by Bryan Singer. Say no more. Visual genius. Performances: cool, slick, yet believable. Movie itself: in a word, perfect! But, there is a man whose acomplishment is overlooked when praising this movie. His name is John Ottman, and he did montage and wrote music for the film, which has given a movie such rhythm and (tense) atmosphere that it's a crying shame he didn't receive an Oscar. Beautiful work, John! By the way, it's one of mine Top 3 movies of all time...
Rating: 
Summary: Only a surprise ending for those who don't pay attention
Review: This movie had a lot of hype (and still does) but doesn't live up to any of it. I didn't know much about it when I first saw it (I certainly had never heard about the twist ending) but I figured it out halfway through -- Kevin Spacey's character gives it away with his inconsistent remarks about Keyser Soze (in one scene he has to have the other criminals tell him who Keyser Soze is, in another scene, which takes place only a few days later, he goes on and on about how children have nightmares about him as a child and about how awful this guy's history is, and how his legend is so spectacular and terrifying. Please. It's ridiculous to even remotely consider that somebody would develop that type of fear of someone they've never met and only heard about for two days. You really have to be stupid to fall for this kind of movie manipulation and not put 2+2 together.) The director should have been more careful, or maybe he was trying to give it away. Still, its one thing to give hints, as in the Sixth Sense, and another to rely on all of us stupid American's not thinking the dialogue through. The entire movie seemed pretty bland once you figured out what's going on. Spacey is good in the movie, but Chazz Longname and the others are pretty awful to watch. Maybe if you're really dumb and don't clue into the real story the movie's terrific. If that's you, I pity you and hope you are able to enjoy a good Bryan Singer movie like LA Confidential. If you like to think during a movie, you'll see right through this insipid waste of time and look down on those poor souls who think this movie touches upon greatness.
Rating: 
Summary: extremely over-blown crime thriller
Review: very over-blown with tepid writing, direction, and acting. definitely not oscar-worthy but better than the typical fare of the same genre. not bad as a rental or a simple movie to pass the time, but all in all it's not very good, original, or groundbreaking
Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies I've seen in a long time
Review: Top-notch thriller with an ending that you'll never expect...fine acting by Spacey, Byrne, and Singer, etc...clever plot twists...and all the fun of a good movie. Buy this movie!!!
Rating:
Summary: An excellent cinematic experience
Review: I just finished watching this film for the second time and I must say that it is one of the absolute best movies I've ever seen. The entire cast gives a fantastic performance, and the non-stop plot will twist you into a pretzel. An absolute must in any movie library. This is truly a 5 star film.
Rating:
Summary: Best Movie on the Planet
Review: This movie is by far the best suspense film on the planet. The fantastic acting by an amazing cast, mixed with a thick and well planned out plot, makes this movie a jaw-dropping hour and 45 min , which leaves the veiwer unsure of who really is keizer sose, and by the time the movie is over, all you can say is "wow". If you want to see a dumfounded look on all of your friends, get this, now.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic Movie with a Fantastic Ending
Review: This movie has perhaps the best surpise ending that I've ever seen - much better than The Sixth Sense. It leads you down a path throughout the film, seems to confirm it, and then turns it around as if to say "ha ha, look what I made you believe" before you have a chance to wipe the smug grin off your face that you got as soon as you thought you figured it out. The acting of the master criminals is superb - Gabriel Byrne is fantastic as Dean Keaton, Kevin Pollak wonderful in a surprising turn, and Kevin Spacey in a (well-deserved) Oscar winning performance. The supporting cast, including Chazz Palminteri and Pete Postlethwaite, is also outstanding. The real star of this film, though, is the plot. It's very well thought out, suspenseful, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Though nothing can match watching it for the first time, it's great to watch it again and again.
Rating:
Summary: "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled..."
Review: ...was making some people think this movie was NOT worth every bit of praise it received, and then some. This film is a brilliant masterstroke--for director Bryan Singer, for writer Christopher McQuarrie, for all the cast of exceptional actors, and most notably, for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, for finally getting it right. Kevin Spacey steals your mind, logic, and ability to think of anything else than you just sitting back and following his tale of just WHO this Keyser Soze really is. Some say the final scene kills the film; others say it perfectly caps off a brilliant plot-twister. However you wish to see it, remember this when you get to that point in the picture: you have been absolutely glued to this film, almost afraid to blink. You, too, have fallen into Soze's world, and you, too, have been conned!!! "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was making the world believe he didn't exist." You shall see the greatest trick in this film is Spacey's ability to completely stare straight and tell "the truth." HA HA HA HA The film's editing was sorely overlooked for awards--the quick motion makes the difficult story easy to follow, and keeps the flow of the crime mystery going. The tight dialogue is great--filled with one-liners you'll be saying for weeks. The cinematography is amazing, as is the moving score which evokes the old noir classics of the 1940s and 1950s. Gabriel Byrne is in top, intense form, as is the unlikely pair of Kevin Pollack and Stephan Baldwin. At the time, Benicio Del Toro was himself a newcomer, but you wouldn't guess it from his performance. Theatrical oldtimer Pete Postlethwaite is amazing, as is Chazz Palmintieri...I can't say it enough! EVERYONE IN THIS FILM IS GREAT! THIS FILM IS GREAT! I wish there were more films out there like this. I won't tell you who Keyser Soze is: you must discover that on your own. But I will tell you this...if you haven't seen this, then WHAT the heck are you waiting for? Even if you do have a "fried drumstick" for a leg, hobble on it as you run to get this film!
Rating: 
Summary: Entertaining, but trips over its own cleverness.
Review: There's a cardinal unspoken agreement between a filmmaker and his audience. The audience agrees to submit to his small world and let him drive for a couple of hours, and he in turn agrees not to abuse their trust in suspending their disbelief. The Usual Suspects gleefully violates that agreement, and that is ultimately the weakest aspect of this film. You may have heard this already, but the ending really does negate the entire film thanks to the storytelling device chosen. Otherwise, it's a very well-crafted, well-acted, entertaining film. Spacey in particular is continually being given kudos, but his performance has become somewhat overrated...Gabriel Byrne and Stephen Baldwin are easily as good if not better. If you mind watching a whole film only to have a plot "twist" at the end that basically says "oops...just kidding about all that" (and lord knows I wouldn't blame you), you won't like this film. If you're willing to overlook that fact, and just enjoy the journey for its own sake (even knowing that the destination makes the trip moot), then you'll enjoy it. Oh, and pretending that you need "higher intelligence" to "get" this film is laughable. How could anyone not get it...it bludgeons the audience with a plot sledgehammer. And conversely, it doesn't take a genius to see the gaping black hole in the story by the movie's end either. Technically, the DVD is a bit disappointing. The image quality is not the greatest, the sound is poor (Dolby 2.0 only, not 5.1), and the only subtitles are spanish. Ironically, the trailer included in the "extras" is in Dolby 5.1 though. And one plus is that the filmmaker's commentary track is one of the better ones around. An entertaining film, if you're willing to ignore that it makes itself almost meaningless by the end.
| 
