The Usual Suspects

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The Usual Suspects

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The Usual Suspects

Benicio Del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Pollak, Kevin Spacey, Pete Postlethwaite, Stephen Baldwin

When a truck loaded with stripped gun parts is hijacked outside of Queens, five notorious thieves become overnight guests of the NYPD, but that's all they need to hatch a plan that brings them to Los ...( read more  read more... )Angeles for the ultimate take, $91 million in hard cash. Roger "Verbal" Kint, an apparent victim of cerebral palsy yet an accomplished con man, soon falls under the persuasive powers of U.S. Customs Special Agent David Kujan, who's hot on their trail. Kint weaves a tale that begins six weeks ago, back at the police shake-down in New York. Assembled among the professional felons are hardware specialist Todd Hockney, entry man Michael McManus and Dean Keaton, an ex-cop whose hijacking and smuggling exploits have incurred Kujan's wrath. Customs has been building a case on Keaton for three years, and despite Kint's claim that Keaton is dead, Kujan looks to squeeze Kint until he gets his man. In a surprise plot twist, a pitiable con man is being outwitted by an eager Fed. Or is he?

Id: 10901541

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The Usual Suspects Recent Reviews
  • AgentLexi2132
    November 6, 2009
    AgentLexi2132
    ''The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist. And like that... he is gone.''

    A boat has been destroyed, criminals are dead, and the key to this mystery lies with the only survivor and his twisted, convoluted story beginning with fiv...( read more)e career crooks in a seemingly random police lineup.

    Gabriel Byrne:Dean Keaton

    The Usual Suspects is simply a fascinating piece of film-making and story telling from director Bryan Singer. Because of the trick ending conclusion, it is debatable as to what is truth and what is fiction. If you watch it objectively, it is just a damn entertaining, complex, a well structured film noir piece with a breath taking climax. If you take the subjective route, then what you've got is perhaps the most puzzling film ever made, one that even with multiple repeated viewings will make you doubt your own conclusions.

    The Usual Suspects begins with the supposed protagonist, Dean Keaton (superbly played by Gabriel Byrne), being assassinated by a mysterious unknown figure, named Keyser. I think it's safe to say that this opening scene is objectively told, it really happened. Then Keyser burns the ship that Keaton and a bunch of other men (who we find out about later) are on. In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the cops and FBI question the sole survivor of this massacre, Verbal Kint (played by Best Supporting Actor Oscar winner Kevin Spacey). Verbal is the only one who can tell what happened. He is our link to the flashbacks and story of The Usual Suspects.

    ''One cannot be betrayed if one has no people.''

    Leading the investigation is US Customs Agent Dave Kujon (effectively played by Chazz Palmentieri). Kujon grills Kint relentlessly in order to piece together all the events that led up to the massacre. Kint begins with the events weeks before when Kujon and his fellow agents had arrested Keaton and the other 'usual' suspects Kint, Michael McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Fred Fenster (Benicio del Toro), and Todd Hockney (Kevin Pollak). These 5 men were suspected of a hijacking and were brought in for questioning.

    As Kint continues and the film progresses, we find that the 5 criminals were manipulated into the situation by Keyser Soze, a Turkish uber-gangster/drug dealer who they all think is really a myth until his #1 lackey Kobyashi (played with cold efficiency by Pete Posthlewaite) pays them a visit and tells them that indeed Soze is behind all this. Soze wants them to to do job for him by killing his Hungarian competitors, who are making a huge drug deal with some Argentinians on a ship docked in LA. This leads us to the climax and back to the events that started the film.

    The Usual Suspects, whatever ones feelings about the surprise at the end, is one brilliant example of modern day film noir. Nobody is innocent, yet every major character is multi-dimensional and draws you into the conflict. There is quite a bit of action and violence, but it is tight, well-placed, and crisply realistic. The beauty of the film is that you can watch it in at least two different ventures, objectively to be entertained and secondly to subjectively attempt to complete the puzzle and solve the goings on! The acting is uniformly superb, the Oscar-winning screenplay crackles, and never becomes tedious or boring. The Usual Suspects is simply Bryan Singers best film to date and among the best films of the decade!

    ''What the cops never figured out, and what I know now, was that these men would never break, never lie down, never bend over for anybody. Anybody.''
  • middleeasternfilms
    October 30, 2009
    middleeasternfilms
    You can have your X-Men movies, but when Bryan Singer dies this film will be on his gravemarker. One of the greatest films ever made, pure and simple. The build-up, done through flashbacks, keeps you going and guessing as to what will happen next and the cast isn't full of all-st...( read more)ars, but each character works because of the actor chosen to portray him. Kevin Spacey won an Oscar for his portrayal of Verbal Kint, a small-time crook and con man with a visible limp. He narrates the story to two detectives while all the while namedropping Keyser Soze. The ending is classic - as the entire story is pure bullshit concocted with names made up from various things around the office he's being interviewed in. Calling this a cult film is an insult.
  • ironclad1609
    October 19, 2009
    ironclad1609
    Already a crime thriller classic, mostly due to outstanding performances (Oscar or Kevin Spacey), great direction by Bryan Singer and a very intelligent, complex and well worked out script that requires quite some attention of the audience, who will gladly participate in the ridd...( read more)le of Keyser Soze's identity (and yet will never see it coming). Especially the final twist is so wonderfully delivered that you can't help but grin all throughout the end credits. For those who have not heard it yet and still have to watch the film: I envy you for still having this experience ahead of you. Outstanding.
  • SirPant
    September 14, 2009
    SirPant
    Bryan Singer's debut is fantastic. Shame all his other films since have been quite bad. The Usual Suspects is a modern classic but it's never going to be as good as the first time you see it!
  • irisheyes686
    August 26, 2009
    irisheyes686
    Spacey was a genius in this. The ending was totally unexpected. Awesome movie.
  • Elinix
    December 6, 2009
    Elinix
    Mesmerizing, witty and with an undenieable charm, this film is so much more than it's brilliant end twist. First and foremost, the script. It's tight, slick, thrilling and so much fun. Then it's is well excecuted, with a couple of incredible performances. Man, I liked this film.
  • zdravkoduck
    December 3, 2009
    zdravkoduck
    One of the reasons I like about this movie is all the on-set stories I heard about. Breaking wind during takes. Uncontrollable laughter. The ad-libs that were put in the movie. Great cast. Great performances. This movie punches you in the fucking face and you love it!
  • amyleestanfield
    November 27, 2009
    amyleestanfield
    This movie had the most brilliant ending ever thought of.
  • CxxOgdenxxSince91
    November 24, 2009
    CxxOgdenxxSince91
    Amazing and the end got me i ain't gonna lie.
  • clairebear44
    November 23, 2009
    clairebear44
    Genius. This is the only word that fits. Genius. Kevin Spacey, hats off to you, and Bryan Singer, huzzah!
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