THE USUAL SUSPECTS - 4.5/5 STARS Starring: Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollack, Chazz Palimenteri and Kevin Spacey as Verbal Kint Directed by Bryan Singer Classified R for language and violence
REVIEW BY JOHN ULMER
In the beginning of "The Usual Suspects," a man is killed on the deck of a ship, and suddenly an explosion completely tears apart the docked ship. Flash forward to the next day. Dave Kujan (Chazz Palimenteri) is forcing a statement out of the only surviver of the explosion, Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey, in the role that made him a star). Verbal recalls the last few weeks to Dave, who listens intently.
We start when five criminals are brought in for a line-up. There's McManus (Stephen Baldwin), Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), Fred Fenster (Benicio DelToro), Todd Hockney (Kevin Pollack), and Verbal Kint. While they are being held in prison, the five men all agree that the police just need someone to pin the crime they are suspected of on someone. They all agree to plan revenge by forming a league of crime... Lotta stuff happens, next we know a legendary criminal named Keizer Soze (whose name reminds me of a type of food) has the five men under his control. He makes them steal drugs off a docked ship, and as we see in the beginning, the men all die save Verbal. Hmm, who could Keizer Soze be? How did all the people die? Who is Lara Croft? Oops, wrong tagline.
"The Usual Suspects" is a very good film, but not one of my favorites.
It's extremely catchy, brutal, etc., but comes across slightly shallow. The ending, though surprising, doesn't really click together as well as some other films with surprises. I wasn't confused by the ending, I understood it, I just thought it was a bit shallow compared to some other flicks. I have my reasons, go to www.wiredonmovies.com/reviews/the_usual_suspects.html IF YOU HAVE SEEN THE MOVIE and I will explain what I didn't like about the end.
Effective filmmaking, but slightly overrated and shallow.
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