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The Usual Suspects

The Usual Suspects

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A chilling insight into the ability to lie
Review: "And like that...he's gone."

Chilling words from one of the most chilling scenes in this brilliantly written, acted and directed film. The Usual Suspects is the original Memento, as time is not a factor and the scenes are like a patchwork quilt, pitching you back and forth between what happened and what is happening. Confusing, yes, but genius to write it as Christopher McQuarrie did. He deserved the Oscar he received. As did Kevin Spacey.

The Usual Suspects revolves primarily around Spacey, casting him as Verbal Kint, a gimped man with an odd, pigeon toed like walk. The walk is brilliantly executed, as it causes the audience to feel sorrow, but at the same time have a deep-seated suspicion that something is going on, primarily because of his monotone voice and his occassional outburst that makes him seem to break from character. Kint is the only survivor of a harsh firefight and a series of explosions that leave many dead...and one man teetering on the brink of death, repeating the words "Keyser Soze" over and over again. Eventually, the detective heading the investigation (Chazz Palimentri in a flawlessly executed performance) gets the story (or lack thereof) out of Verbal about all the occurred before the fire in the night that left so many charred bodies in its wake. It is a story involving drugs, deception and a lot of money.

By the end, everything comes together, but your brain is tied up in knots, as one question is hovering overhead..."How?" The Usual Suspects is a chilling look into the consequences of greed and trust in a situation where no one deserves such a luxury. It is a brilliantly written film with dynamic performances by Spacey, Palimentri, Kevin Pollak and Stephen Baldwin. It is funny, chilling, suspenseful and action packed, making for an awesome movie experience.

It will leave you breathless.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Usual Suspects DVD
Review: The Usual Suspects is an amazing, action-packed psychological drama/thriller type movie that will definately leave you guessing till the end! Amazing direction by Bryan Singer, great script with an OUTSTANDING ensemble cast including the amazingly talented Gabriel Byrne (the sexiest man alive), the brilliant Kevin Spacey and Kevin Pollack, possibly the most hilarious man alive. The DVD offers great features such as a number of cast and crew interviews, featurettes, and a gag roll, and lots of behind the scenes footage and deleted scenes. Not too mention, i find that the visuals of the DVD are FAR better than any VHS, it's a lot brighter and easier to see everything. All in all, this is a great, great cult classic for any movie freak. If you haven't seen this, you aren't a movie fanatic!!!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An All-Around Incredible Film
Review: Wow!...That was my feeling after the first viewing of "The Usual Suspects". The entire movie is non-stop action. Between all the bomb explosions, interigation scenes, and intense situations lies a great plot. Then comes the end of the movie. The point where this goes from being a four star action film to one of the best movies i have ever seen. If you don't know what I'm talking about then you must see this film. It's definitely not your usual movie.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Keyser Soze is Kevin Spacey's character
Review: The movie is really great. Oh, and sorry for spoiling it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: There is no Keyser Soze!
Review: Put together a group of crooks, a $91 million heist, some twists and turns, and a mysterious crime lord called Keyser Soze, and you've got The Usual Suspects. Yes, the title does come from Casablanca. A customs agent Kujan (Palminteri) tries to get information about a crime from con man "Verbal" Kint (Spacey). There's a burning tanker in the San Pedro harbor, twenty-seven dead bodies, and four other temperamental criminals involved: former cop Keaton (Byrne), explosives expert Hockney (Pollak), and the hot-headed duo McManus (Baldwin) and Fenster (Del Toro).

The Usual Suspects could have gotten by on the storyline itself, but the script is funny and well-written and the acting is terrific all around, especially by Spacey and Del Toro (both in award-winning performances). So what are you waiting for? Add it to your video/DVD library. Now!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Mildly disappointing
Review: As a fan of the film, I purchased this disc (again) because of the extra features. In all fairness, the documentary 'featurettes' are interesting. But beware - the deleted scenes are a joke. A couple are about six seconds long. John Ottman's introductions are good, but the scenes are a letdown. Not to mention the fact that they seem to have come from a vhs tape with poor tracking. The gag reel is not funny, and is cut like a public access music video. Further, the 'remastered' image of the feature doesn't look much better than the previous release. Oh well, for 18 bucks, you get what you get.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Brilliant Screenplay, Exceptional Cast
Review: This has to be one of the most intriguing films of the last twenty years. The stellar cast includes Chazz Palmintieri, Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, and Benicio Del Toro. The viewer follows the story along with the Detective (Palmintieri) trying to figure out (the now infamous question) "Who is Keyser Soze? (the most fearsome mobster to leave the Eastern block) as the events leading up to a cocaine heist are told by the gimp legged Kint (Spacey). The twists and turns (right up until the end) in the story keep you on your toes as the suspense draws you into the drama. A masterful script, well directed with lots of action, and yet, the most intriguing part is the brilliantly crafted (both in performance and page) characterizations. I found this film riveting and recommend it highly.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: TRIPE WINS OSCAR! READ ALL ABOUT IT:
Review: Tripe- what remains when the good stuff is gone. Usual Suspects is Hollywood mannerism at it's worse and naturally most successful. On the heels of the gangster nouveau, it has more twists and turns than Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction put together and characters who are all bad ALL THE TIME -- "real" tough guys. And the only thing they fear is Kaiser Soze.

Yeah right...

Why would anyone be afraid of a guy who killed his own family? Every-time his enemies turn up he kills someone he loves?! Who's gonna work for a moron like that!? The only thing to fear is that you might be related to him!...

All the rest is talk-talk, bang-bang, and not even a kiss-kiss. Light and witless fare at best.

In fact, what we have here is a series of gratuitous plot-twists and contrivances, abunch of Actors that are all pretending to be tough guys, and a writer and director who sold a bill of goods on a trend started by two movies that Hollywood never wanted to make: Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction. Yeah, you can hear the pitch now: "it's more Reservoir Dogs than Reservoir Dogs is! More twists and turns than Pulp Fiction!"

OSCAR TIME!

Except that RD and PF weren't about twists and turns, or tough guys, or Kaiser Snoozy (oh wait, wasn't he in Snow White?). "The Usual Suspects" makes the mistake most Hollywood studio flicks do: they confuse the elements of a successful movie with the movie itself. You might as well say Citizen Kane was about the newspaper business, or 2001 was about spaceships, or The Fountainhead was about architecture, or King Of Kings was about carpentry! Worse, once you get the formulae down it becomes just too ...predictable: here we go, another thrilling plot twist! HEY, SOME OF THESE MAKE MONEY, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T [LACK CLASS] DOING IT.

Really, did anyone NOT see that last "twist" coming?...

OSAR TIME!

They loved it! How could they not? This is the same academy that ignored Kubrick and booed Orson Welles. But in Hollywood there's a little bit of Kaiser Soze in everyone.

Oh well. You remember that guy from "Seven" -- John Doe? Now that was a man to be feared.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best movies ever made
Review: Bryan Singer's "The Usual Suspects" is a breathtaking crime thriller that exceeded all expectations after its 1995 release and to me represents the zenith of filmmaking. Singer himself creates the story using complicated and beautiful shots and an uncompromising vision. This man knows what he wants. And this is to bring Christopher McQuarrie's script to life. The script itself is a magnificent twister that leaves all ends loose. It is quite simply sheer brilliance. Kevin Spacey's performance, though, is the key to the movie's success. If Kevin could not pull off the subtleties required of a character of such importance the movie would not have worked at all. His performance is simply amazing in its difficulty and aim. Great supporting roles by Gabriel Byrne and Benicio Del Toro (with one of the funniest movie accents of all time). And the ending literally left me with my mouth open. At the end of this movie, I was simply in awe. It had managed to capture me and fascinate me in a manner few others have.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An absolute classic!!
Review: The first time I saw this movie was about 4-5 years ago...I instantly LOVED it!! I am a super-duper action fan and this is such a well made film!! No wonder why this movie was nomiated for an Academy Award!!

If you like action and down & dirty acting, you'll LOVE this film! Everyone must see this movie!!


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