The Usual Suspects
The Usual Suspects tells us "the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist." If this is true, then is the shadowy underground figure of Keyser Soze really the devil himself or just an urban legend? This is the question the film will leave you wondering throughout this intriguing thriller.
Directed by Bryan Singer, The Usual Suspects opens in San Pedro harbor after a devastating explosion has rocked a ship, leaving only two survivors. One of them is a badly burned Hungarian sailor shouting the name Keyser Soze from his hospital bed. The other is a harmless, club-footed con man named Verbal Klint (Kevin Spacey). Verbal is immediately brought into the police station and questioned by U.S. Customs Special Agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri). Protected by immunity, Verbal regales Kujan with a fascinating, sinister tale.
Six months ago a group of men, including Verbal, were brought into a police lineup in New York City. The five men are Verbal, Todd Hockney (Kevin Pollak), Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), Michael McManus (Stephen Baldwin) and Fred Fenster (Benicio Del Toro). The trumped-up charges of a truck hijacking are bogus, and the five apparently have nothing in common. However, each individual brings their own unique criminal specialty to the group. After being released they become a team and pull their own heist on the corrupt cops in New York's finest.
They are then approached by the mysterious Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite), who claims to be acting as an agent for Keyser Soze. Soze is the criminal underworld's "bogeyman," a man so vicious and powerful that even the most hardened criminals fear crossing him. It is unsure whether or not Soze is a myth, since no one has ever seen him. He wants the group to hijack a drug deal involving rivals. It is a high-risk mission, but if they succeed the surviving members stand to make $91 million plus the drugs.
Unlike most Hollywood shit, this film has a number of twists and requires you to think. The film constantly flips back and fourth between flashbacks and the present. At first you need to pay attention, but you soon get used to the frequency of this technique. You'll also find yourself wondering what parts of Verbal's story are real. Did this actually happen the way Verbal is telling it?
The screenplay, written by Christopher McQuarrie, features strong dialogue. Much of the film takes place in the police station with Kujan digging at the truth from the seemingly overmatched Verbal. The give and take in these scenes is excellent as Verbal and Kujan employ a number of mind games on each other.
The film features an all-star cast with a number of memorable performances. Spacey won Best Supporting Actor for his role, and Postlethwaite portrays Kobayashi in such a sinister and unflinching fashion that you seriously wonder if he is Keyser Soze. Del Toro is the comic relief, providing hilarious, undecipherable lines. Surprisingly, even Stephen Baldwin gives a strong performance (I didn't think that any of the Baldwin brothers could act worth a shit).
If there is one reason alone to see this movie, it's for the ending. Like The Sixth Sense, The Usual Suspects features a freaky ending that will surprise you and make you say "Holy Shit!" Just when you think that you have everything figured out, it takes another shocking twist.
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No reason not to drink, but it's hard enough to follow this film sober let alone after a few wobbly pops.
The coarse language might turn off some female viewers, but the story is so good that chances are she'll stick around. A minor (very minor) romantic subplot helps.
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