a genius is never appreciated in his own time...

Rating: 10/10 (11 May 2003)

That, and a few other choice words, went through my head when I finished watching this. Judging from the meager earnings this achieved at the box office, people weren't wanting to accept the incredible amount of plot in this movie. Pity.
The script seriously deserved the Oscar it won. No other movie I can think of has such an involving plot that I can't see why people find this movie confusing.
(SPOILERS) Poor Mr. Ebert. He's so smacked upside the head with straightforward junk like Titanic and Strange Days that he can't follow an involving storyline. He needs more brain cells in his head if he wants to keep critiquing films and follow a plot. The ending, by far, comes out of the blue but is not a deus ex machina that some might expect. Other than that, I'm not ruining it. See it for yourself.
Overall, really interesting and a good example of getting an incredible cast, a phenomenal writer, and some great pacing. This movie is ONLY 104 minutes! Some of the plot rubbed me the wrong way, but I can stand it with things like this and the Maltese Falcon because they are meant to be mysteries...and the "Usual Suspects" is probably THE mystery of the 1990s.
4 out of 5. Repeat viewings don't help the mood, you just might be disappointed.