Review of The Usual Suspects (1995) by Gregory G — 14 Aug 2013
The title comes from a line in "Casablanca" through an article in "Spy" magazine. A highly stylized, intricate thriller from writer Christopher McQuarrie and director Brian Singer, this is the most entertaining convoluted mystery since "The Big Sleep.
" It begins with a gang of criminals gathered together for a police lineup that leads to a failed drug heist on a Los Angeles harbor. In the aftermath, a customs detective (Chazz Palminteri) interrogates a lone survivor, a verbose cripple (Kevin Spacey), who recounts, in flashbacks and narration, the events that led to the heist organized by the mysterious Hungarian criminal mastermind, Keyser Soze.
(The identification of Soze is the most brilliantly executed revelation since Orson Welles appeared as Harry Lime in "The Third Man.") But how much of what we see actually happened? The brilliantly assembled cast is fantastic.
Won Oscars for Best Supporting Actor (Kevin Spacey) and Best Original Screenplay (Christopher McQuarrie.) Cinematography by Newton Thomas Sigel; John Ottman was the editor and composed the simple pulsating music score.
With Gabriel Byrne, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Benicio del Toro, Pete Postlethwaite, Suzy Amis, Giancarlo Esposito, Dan Hedaya, and Peter Greene.
This review of The Usual Suspects (1995) was written by Gregory G on 14 Aug 2013.
The Usual Suspects has generally received very positive reviews.
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