Instant Classic

Rating: 10/10 (27 March 2009)

As a friend of mine always asked me, "Did you see a movie, or a film?". 'Movie' was moving pictures up on a screen, telling some kind of story. 'Film' was something more. 'Film' was a masterpiece. So after I watched this movie, after my head stopped spinning, I decided: I had just seen a mighty fine FILM. The Usual Suspects is anything and everything you want it to be. A compelling thriller, and, in fact, the best mystery film since the years of Hitchcock. Kevin Spacey and Gabriel Byrne give master-class performances, like they had been born to play the roles of 'Verbal' Kint and Dean Keaton. The cinematography (Newton Thomas Sigel gets credit here) completely immerses you into the movie. Darkly lit, resembling The Godfather films, really brings out the best in director Bryan Singers characters. The characters are sometimes barely recognizable it feels so dark, which fits perfectly with the plot and message: No one can be trusted. Someone maybe even be impersonating someone else. And then, there is Kevin Spacey, bringing sense to it all. Or is he? Giving an extremely impressive performance, trying to keep cool under interrogator Chazz Palminteri, even he cannot make sense of most of his own story. Or maybe there's a different reason... Christopher McQuarrie's script is one of the best in the history of film; dark, complicated, compelling, and bringing out the true colors of all his characters. The Usual Suspects, in conclusion, is one of the best movies ever made.