The Best Film of 1995

Rating: 10/10 (14 August 1998)

This film came out the year after "Pulp Fiction" altered the view of film -goers across the country. So, for about the next year, any film that came out which included extreme violence and humor was immediately deemed a rip -off of the film. And so, "Usual Suspects" was written off by a large audience as simply being an imitator of "Pulp Fiction." However, any person who has more refined artistic sensibility can see that the comparison was almost completely ludicrous. "Usual Suspects," a precise mystery-thriller -drama, hardly has any resemblence in mood, plot or genre to "Pulp Fiction. " And as for those who may say that the film is a ripoff of "Casablanca," it is obvious to see that why the film does pay homage to "Casablanca" with the title, once again, mood, plot and genre differ vastly.
What "Usual Suspects" does offer is one of the most well-executed mysteries seen in modern cinema. Kevin Spacey's character is the key to this execution. Having the story told from his perspective allows him to deliver the events exactly as he wants them to be accounted. The way this film manipulates the audience is simply uncanny. And when it not only shocks you once, but twice in the end (though I won't say how), you know that this film was one of the best cinematic experiences that you will have in your life.
Truly, Spacey's intricate performance must be viewed multiple times. I have seen the film maybe four times now, and I still keep stumbling upon little nuances here and there. There is not one bad performance by all of the principle actors in this film. A personal favorite is that of Benicio Del Toro as Fenster, a hilarious performance that gave the film its best quirk and certainly leaving you wishing that you got to see more of this character.
And so, without a doubt, I will state that I think it was a monumental err that the Academy did not nominate this film for Best Picture, and even if it was, I would call it a great mistake if the movie had not won. I would also like to express my distaste at the fact that this film was not even in the qualifying 400 films list for AFI's Top 100 Films list. It certainly deserved the honor.