Film Review #4
The Usual Suspects (1995)
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist"
The Usual Suspects is a film that will leave you thinking long after its ending and one which will become all the more clearer after a second watch. The film follows a group of criminals, lined up together following the hijacking of a truck, they are nicknamed 'The Usual Suspects', a name which is taken from the classic film Casablanca. When lined up all five men protest their innocence, setting out on a revenge mission 'to salvage a little dignity' as put by McManus.
The initial events surrounding the lineup seem irrelevant come the film's ending with the film largely focussing around the plot of criminal boss Keyser Soze, a mysterious character often referred to as 'the devil himself' who sets the men the task of destroying 91 million dollars worth of dope, why has he gave them this task? As they have all stolen from him in the past, although not intentionally/directly, hence they are still alive. The aftermath of the job that is set out to the team is displayed immediately at the start of the film, with it's main star 'Verbal' Kint, portrayed by the brilliant
Kevin Spacey reciting the events that have lead to 27 deaths on a large boat. The story is told through a series of flashbacks as Dave Kujan, a tough and intimidating US customs officer portrayed by
Chazz Palminteri is determined to get to the bottom of the mysterious case.
*If you have not watched the film then I urge you to stop reading from now on, spoilers below.*
Following the film's end you'll be left kicking yourself in frustration yet amazed at perhaps one of the most famous twists ever in this fantastic thriller hence my recommendation of a second watch where everything should become so much clearer in terms of the plot including subtle clues and the film's great attempts to divert (successfully, at least in my case) you from the truth.
Upon initially thinking over the film I was immediately impressed by what I had seen, when writing a review I like to research and read over reviews to ensure I understand what I am writing and I have noticed that The Usual Suspects comes with mixed reviews. Many have criticised the ending and the film itself, I remember reading a piece of work from Roger Ebert that talked about the idea of the film having 'a lot of icing but not enough cake' and that the idea of the plot itself is implausible, why would a man like Keyser Soze feel the need to reveal all this information to the police before getting away? Whilst such arguments are valid I feel that in order to watch a film like this you just have to accept the circumstances created as the truth and go along with them, some are able to do that but some find them too implausible and hence dislike the film, my theory is that Keyser Soze had finally had finally got rid of the one last person who could testify against him, he didn't have to tell the made up story tto the police but he wanted to, one last 'f**k you' to the men who had come so close but never caught him.
The five 'suspects' are a mix of personalities, one of the film's main strengths is its acting and each character and their different styles are portrayed brilliantly, complimenting each other greatly. Aside from Kevin Spacey, who is undoubtedly the star of the film, there is ex-criminal turned straight Dean Keaton portrayed by
Gabriel Byrne who pulls of the role of a cold-hearted murderer turned businessman and husband extremely well, one criticism of his story is that I felt his relationship with criminal lawyer Edie Finneran is left under-explored, with his wife only appearing a few times throughout the film, leaving the emotional side of a man with two sides being left used not as well as it potentially could of in a film like this. One particular scene with Keaton and Finneran in which he is seen overlooking her before leaving seemed particularly odd and out of place.
Stephen Baldwin plays the role of the loud-mouth and extremely cool McManus, probably the biggest 'criminal' of the five and the original creator of the plan for revenge on the police. Baldwin who I have admittedly not seen that often as an actor plays this role to perfection, achieving a great look for a cool and relaxed criminal.
Benicio Del Toro then plays the role of Fenster, McManus' criminal partner and does very well in his role although he is not as prominent as the others, then finally there's
Kevin Pollak as Todd Hockney, who manages to pull of his role of a dramatic criminal extremely well, another strange yet rather funny reveal later in the film is that he did actually hijack the truck from the beginning.
Aside from the five usual suspects, one of the best roles portrayed in the film is Pete Postlethwaite as
Kobayashi, the famous actor is exceptional in his role as an extremely calm and well spoken lawyer with a strange accent, he does a great job in portraying both his cool and composed side as well as his criminal side with the character showing his vicious side on a number of occasions, one particular scene when this can be seen hears him threaten to 'only castrate' McManus' young nephew.
As well as the fantastic acting throughout credit has to go to both
Christopher McQuarrie who's plot will be remembered for it's dramatic twist, as mentioned earlier some will criticise the films plausibility but for most viewers the film has seemed to having a lasting and enjoyable impact. If you can criticise the actual plot then you'll find it difficult to criticise
Bryan Singer who directs the film brilliantly, telling the story fantastically through the use of two interlinking perspectives, the flashbacks of the five men and the interrogation of Kint which reaches its climax in the film's famous ending
.
The film has a combination of all the ingredients needed for a successful and enjoyable film, the plot is very interesting and directed as well as it could be, the use of subtle details that become evident with multiple viewings are very good, and then there's of course the dramatic ending which makes for a must watch for any mystery/thriller fan.
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