Funny, wicked, scary, and intelligent; a brilliant mystery

Rating: 10/10 (23 July 2008)

This has essentially every thing you want in a crime drama: interesting and fun anti-heroes, a wicked sense of humor, well thought-out plot, and an intriguing atmosphere. The performances are all outstanding. The cinematography by Newton Thomas Siegel gives the appropriate hues of light and dark in every scene. John Ottman's score is a true classic noir piece; brilliant especially compared to his more recent mediocre efforts but I'll save that for another review.
Now I have heard a lot of flack over the ending which I will not be cruel enough to give away. (You hear that, MST 3k?) But no matter how many times I see it, it is the proverbial middle finger that everyone claims it to be. I find it wonderfully and mischievously in keeping with what was established previously.
That being said, Keyser Soze is one of the best film villains there is primarily because he is a bogeyman. Director Bryan Singer wisely chooses to keep him the shadows for most of the picture and even his life story is just hearsay. To me, there is nothing more scarier than what you don't know and understand. How can such an enemy be defeated? This totally raises the stakes. This is pure movie magic right here.
It makes me sad that Christopher McQuarrie never really wrote anything else. And as much as I like Singer's superhero movies, the day he decides to make another mystery/drama, I will jump for joy.