The Usual Suspects Review

Rating: 8/10 (14 December 2010)

The Usual Suspects was released in 1995. Christopher McQuarrie was the writer and it was directed by Bryan Singer, and edited by John Ottman.
In the movie there are five primary characters. Roger "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey) is a crippled man who serves as the brains. Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) is a former police officer. McManus (Stephen Baldwin) is extremely happy but crazy, and Tod Hockney (Kevin Pollack) is extremely odd and Fenster (Benicio Del Toro) has trouble speaking correctly. The twist of the film is that not all of the characters are who they are perceived to be. These five characters are forced in to a police lineup because they are suspicious. To get back at the cops they all join forces. They begin to take more jobs because they are offered money. They find out that the person who is hiring them is named Keyser Soze. Keyser Soze is believed to be the ultimate bad guy that everyone should be scared of.
This film includes many visual references and flashbacks to previous scenes in order to tie in the current plot. The editing of the film seems to be extremely tasteful. Even though there are quick scene changes throughout the entire film, the editing never interrupts the flow of the story. In order for members of the audience to get the most out of this film, it is crucial to pay full attention to details. The story-line is fairly complex because of the many characters. The lighting of the film seems to be fairly natural but dark. Specifically when some of the characters encounter Keyser Soze, Keyser's face is completely hidden from to light to conceal his identity.The final scene of the movie is monumental. They close with a specific quote that summarizes the entire experience of watching the film. This movie is extremely well done.