Again, I'm being benched tonight in favor of a good friend of mine, all the way from the depths of hell known as Portugal, in his at-bat, this time Bryan Singer's popular 1995 hit THE USUAL SUSPECTS. Here is Carlos Saraiva, and hes got a hell of a spoiler for you!
http://www.andersonvision.com/The_Usual_Suspects.html Published March 28, 2006
The Usual Suspects
A Film Review by Carlos Alberto Saraiva
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USA/Germany, 1995
U.S. Release Date: 8/16/95
Running Length: 106 min.
MPAA Classification: R
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Benicio Del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, Giancarlo Esposito, Suzy Amis, Dan Hedaya and Clark Gregg
Director: Bryan Singer
Screenplay: Christopher McQuarrie
Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Original Score: John Ottman
Studio: Gramercy Pictures
For all purposes, every film is about misdirection. Movies pretend to offer a certain reality, even though everything involving in their making is artifice. But some movies fully embrace misdirection. In this particular case, the whole plot is about just that. This movie blowed my mind the first time I saw it, simple as that. I love it dearly on so many levels. I love it as a victory of grand achievement over an extremely low budget. I love it as an ensemble piece to where nobody commits a false step. I love it for the directorial bravado. I love it for the story they wanted to tell (and it won the Oscar, which for once was totally deserved).
The film opens on five career criminals are lined up for interrogation about a robbery that none of them can confirm that they committed. To get even on the cops that screwed them over, this unlikely bunch join forces for some payback, with a nice sideline of profit as well. Weeks later, all but one of them is dead, and the survivor, a small time crippled crook nicknamed Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) tells the whole story to a skeptical cop. A strange, complicated tale that involves a near mythical criminal called Keizer Soyze, the shadow uber-mastermind and boogeyman of the crime world.
It's impossible to not talk about this movie and not mention the Superb cast. Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Pete Postlewaite, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollack, Chazz Palminteri, Giancarlo Esposito, and Dan Hedaya. A dream cast alone for a major Hollywood movie, but for a 4 million dollar movie, this is amazing.
This is one of those cases where not having a big budget helps, I guess, as not allowing for a big star, in this movie we truly have our attention on all the characters, and not just on the matinee idol.
This great film is helped as well by the superb editing and musical score, both of which were amazingly performed by the same man in John Ottman. Truly a jack of all trades!
This is one of those eye opening movies. I saw it before director Bryant Singer went on to make bigger movies involving mutants and spandex. When I saw this movie back in 1995, it made me realize a new exciting talent had arrived. As much I love to revere the old masters, it's also a great joy to see new talented kids bring new blood to the movies, to spice up the medium. This movie sure helps bring back to me why I love to go to the movies, which is to see gems like this.
For young people out there, you have no idea how jaded a movie lover could be. After enduring the stupidity of the high concept crap pictures of the 80s and early 90s, cinema seemed to be dead. The year of 1995 brought much excellence onscreen that it renewed and justified my love for the medium. Along with Michael Mann’s “Heat,” Martin Scorsese’s “Casino,” and Oliver Stone’s “Nixon,” Bryan Singer’s “The Usual Suspects” certainly had its heavy share on that.
The ending! Man, the ending of this movie! Talk about misdirection and manipulation of the audiences. Many people resent this aspect about this movie, but I didn't. For once, I saw a movie that was smarter then what the audiences expected to witness. That, in my book, is cool. Not to mention it's one of those endings where more questions are raised, and no answers are provided, a puzzle inside a puzzle.
Some people can't simply dig this. For my part, I can't phantom why. I thank the filmmakers very much for that. I know that I have not talked about the ending of this movie in this review, and then you might ask, why I warned about spoilers. My answer is that the movie’s final twist IS a spoiler. People should watch this movie NOT KNOWING it has a twist ending. I respect this movie, any movie, too much not to make that mistake, if you know what I mean. Simply said, this movie is great, a true kick ass movie in its entire punk ass attitude.
As for why I have not answered to the possible question as to why this movie is so punk ass, well, this movie doesn’t answer the questions it raises, so why then should I in my review?
Film Rating - *****/5 - Masterpiece
© 2006 Carlos Alberto Saraiva
