Overview:
Quite possibly one of the best sleeper movies of all time, The Usual Suspects could be considered on of the top ten best crime dramas in the history of film making. Many movies have been released, and many have sucked, but one thing is certain, The Usual Suspects is a puzzling drama that keeps you guessing from the beginning, all the way to the mind blowing end. Featuring 5 main characters in an unprecedented method of filmmaking, The Usual Suspects is a film fan favorite!

Review:
Set in New York and California, The Usual Suspects follows five small time criminals in a sequence of mind boggling events that require multiple viewings. It all starts out at the end of the film, and plays backwards. Not as confusing as Memento but nevertheless, still pretty tough to follow. At the beginning of the film, Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) is about to post bail and is being interrogated for the last time. Kint lays it down like this: A shipment of guns was hijacked from the Feds and they want to know who stole it. The New York cops have no leads so they bring all the local thieves for a shakedown. After they spend time in the tank, they decide to start doing a few small jobs. After sending the cops a little “Screw You” message, they start their plans.

Without giving too much of the plot away, the motley crew heads to the West Coast for some new work, and to lay low. While sweating bullets as the heat dies down, the group meets a lawyer named Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite) claims that they owe him and his employer a favor. He claims that unknowingly, they have all stolen something that belongs to his boss, Keyser Soze. As they all look nervously around the room they explain that Soze is a ruthless, cold-blooded murderer, believed to be the most villainous criminal in they have ever heard of. Unwillingly they accept to destroy a shipment of narcotics from South America in order to keep Soze in business.

The Usual Suspects jumps from past to present while Kint explains what happened. Evidently when the troupe went to the docks to spoil the drugs, everyone save Kevin Spacey and two sailors were killed. The police detective’s race against time to interrogate the Hungarian sailor before Kint is released, hoping to keep him from leaving. As the movie climaxes to the night of the heist, all hell breaks loose by the end of the film. You will have to watch it to see it.

Acting:
As usual, Kevin Spacey proves himself as a worthy actor. By the very end of the movie, you will, without a doubt appreciate his performance. The whole cast does an exceptional job at acting. Stephen Baldwin and Benicio Del Toro flesh out this crime movie with 3-D personas and colorful language. It is interesting to see how the characters interact with each other as pressure from both sides of the law is closing in on them. The performers in The Usual Suspects fit the roles perfectly.

Directing:
Bryan Singer did an amazing of a job with The Usual Suspects. This movie is a film that is told just because it is a great story. It has no morals or hidden themes; it is just an astounding work of art. Singer gives The Usual Suspects, an independent film, a major label feel. Screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie and Bryan Singer played their cards right, to produce a film that makes it into my top ten list. Bravo gentlemen, bravo.

Final Thoughts:
The Usual Suspects is plainly excellent story telling. The way the plot twists and turns, makes it such a movie that you need to see it repeatedly. Not only was the plot brilliant, but the music was just as good. I enjoyed how the string and percussion sections built up suspense and set the sinister crime tone. The movie does take full usage of its R rating with violence and language, but it gives shape to the characters. I give The Usual Suspects four planets, because the storyline, acting, and music were superbly executed. Its flaw is also what makes the movie. The plot is confusing enough, so that it demands repeat viewing to understand it all. If you like crime films, or just a movie with a first-rate plot, see The Usual Suspects.
 

Jameson Rating: 4 out of 5 Planets


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