The Usual Suspects

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!

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.