Interesting storytelling, but not absolutely brilliant

Rating: Null/10 (11 September 2003)

You know the drill: After a whole bunch of criminals die on a boat in a drug deal gone wrong, the D.A. and chief of police try to get the truth about what happened out of Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey), who may not be as reliable as he seems.
My two cents: This movie is unique in that it started the whole recent "unreliable narrator" trend in movies. The 'twist', despite what some people have written, isn't a last minute tack-on; the inconsistencies in Verbal's statement lead up to it well before it's finally revealed (the "man with the plan" and "I'm a cripple" speeches taken together are what clued me in).
Aside from that, the movie's pretty standard stuff, the standouts being the random memorable lines and Kevin Spacey's performance. Even so, it's well worth a look, especially if you like crime dramas.
Recommendations: Fans of "Out of Sight", "Get Shorty" and "Ocean's 11" will probably appreciate this the most, but fans of "The Sopranos" and "Goodfellas" may want to give this a try too.