The Usual Suspects
Category
Mystery / Drama / Thriller / Crime
Director
Bryan Singer
Cast
- Gabriel Byrne
- Chazz Palminteri
- Kevin Spacey
- Stephen Baldwin
- Kevin Pollak
- Benicio Del Toro
Release Date
16 August 1995
Synopsis
Before Bryan Singer's name became synonymous with the X-men 2 and Superman Returns comic book action flicks, he previously directed this crime mystery blockbuster, The Usual Suspects. A stellar cast plays a gang of criminals lassoed together, accused of a gun truck hijack. Playing the "usual suspects" are Gabriel Byrne, corrupt cop turned legit businessman Keaton, Stephen Baldwin as ill-tempered McManus partnered with the heavily-accented Fenster played by Benicio del Toro, Kevin Pollak as hijacker extraordinaire Hockney, and the nonthreatening, palsy-stricken character of Kint whom Kevin Spacey was award an Oscar for in 1996. Christopher McQuarrie, Sundance awardee, also brought home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay with his thrilling, confusing crime creation.
The movie starts with Keaton trying to set ablaze a ship, but he was kept from doing so by a shadowy figure that Keaton would call "Keyser." Two gun shots, an explosion, and we move to Verbal (Spacey) being questioned by the district attorney. Verbal, a survivor of the previous scene recalls how he was rounded up with fellow felons, and how they cooked up together a successful heist. Afterwards, they were approached to perform another job, which was apparently a set-up masterminded by the crime world's version of the Boogeyman, Keyser Soze, once a small-time drug dealer turned fear-invoking myth. "Well, I believe in God, and the only thing that scares me is Keyser Soze," said Keaton. Who is Keyser Soze, and why does he create such a terror in his criminal counterparts? Moreover, why was Verbal spared by this treacherous villain? Working with narrated flashbacks and fast-paced scenes, reason and logic are temporarily suspended until the audience is served with a mouth-gaping surprise. "And like that, he's gone."
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist," said Spacey, referring to the illusion known as Soze. And a trick is what Singer plays on his audiences, taking them for a spin, with his actors truly bringing to life the dangerous criminals, swaggering with cool crudeness and toughness. The Usual Suspects is a treat for those who enjoy a crime mystery, action-pumped sequences, and exchanges of tough guy speak.
Review
A mind-bending cinematic tale of a brilliant scam artist who outwitted an American agent, "The Usual Suspects" is about the twisted tale of Verbal Kint (Spacey) and his whereabouts just before a ship at the Los Angeles Port exploded. The investigation led to his arrest and the interrogating agent (Palminteri) focused on Verbal Kint since he and a Hungarian mobster were the only remnants of the explosion.
Kint's tale started out as he and four other criminals who died at the site of explosion were arrested as suspects for a different criminal charge. As the story went on, the details became more elaborate and complex. One name surfaced from Kint's story that gained the attention of the agent. It was Keyser Soze who was a notorious criminal who instilled fear in the faces of everyone who had known his dark past. At the last phase of the interrogation, the agent decided to let go of Kint so as to serve as a reminder of the infamous crime czar Soze.
One of the most unforgettable lines was when Kint told the agent that "the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist". This line was one of the movie's subtle clues about the true identity of Soze.
Christopher McQuarrie, who wrote the brilliant screenplay won several awards for his work. He went on to direct the movie The Way of the Gun, starring The Usual Suspects cast member Benicio del Toro.
The ingenuity of this crime flick lies in its mind-twisting story that attracted audiences and numerous Oscar awards. The way the story kept the clues hidden from the audience is definitely one reason why this crime flick deserved its awards. Aside from the inventive script, each of the actors who portrayed the roles of the suspects did a superb performance. The violent scenes depicted in the film were reminiscent of the movie "Pulp Fiction" because of its hardcore and graphic nature.