Who is Keyser Soze?

Rating: 10/10 (4 January 2004)

SPOILERS THROUGHOUT:
Uusual Suspects is REALLY good-if you haven't seen it-stop reading this now because there are SPOILERS THROUOUT!
I will confess, at first glance it doesn't seem like it's gonna be a classic-I was rather bored at first-not unmanageably so but it seemed like your typical crime movie. Obviously it's not or it wouldn't be so loved-I think there's a few things here that distinguish it besides the ending-which DOES make it into the movie hall of fame for "biggest punch in the gut ending ever!!"
Firstly, there's the cleverness of the whole concept-the movie teases, hoodwinks and toys with it's audience-Some people don't like the movie for that reason, they feel manipulated-while I can understand that, I don't agree with it. The whole concept of the movie was so simple it's brilliant-as the movie goes on is there a movie viewer out there who doesn't get sucked into what Verbal is saying? He cons on screen AND off screen-the audience buys into just one man's WORDS-nothing more-until out of this simple story we begin, in our heads to make up incredibly complicated scenarios to solve the puzzle.
Who is Keyser Soze?
The answer, is of coarse right in front of us. Now here is something else. I guessed the answer relatively quickly and WAS SHOCKED ANYWAY when what I had thought came to pass-I got so sucked into Verbal's verbal torrent of words that I forgot my original premise-or maybe it wasn't forgotten but just put to one side-even if this idea floats through briefly your brain there is no clue AT ALL the end will play out as it does.
Then of coarse, there is Keyser Soze himself, who takes on a sort of mythical legendary status in the movie to the point where the movie has made it's viewing audience crazy to know the identity of someone who's name WASN'T EVEN INTRODUCED as a character until well into the movie! The name Soze begins to take over the whole film and completely alters what everyone thought it was gonna be about.
The ending-Without a doubt this is one of the best twist endings of all time-not just who Soze really is, but the METHOD of how it comes out-deserves to be up there as a great movie for that alone.
Also-even though it's not perfect(I was actually as mentioned very bored at times in the beginning)you just sort of know your watching something that's gonna become a classic. There's just something about it.
It can also be watched more then once(and should be!) and rather then dissipate, the movie's intrigue does not lessen at all with multiple viewings. The mystique is still there, strong as ever and the end still sends chills down the spine. A great film!
I wouldn't rank this as my favorite movie of all time but I can see why it would be someone else's. It is clever, it has style, it is refreshingly different and it has some of the best acting I've ever seen. A must see if you haven't seen it.