"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."

Rating: 10/10 (24 March 2014)

In 1995, Brian Singer and Christopher McQuarrie dreamed up a simple concept: Five thieves, rounded up on suspicion of hijacking in New York, stand in a police lineup. Seen that one before, huh? Just wait. From that, they went on and created the most plot-driven, intricately pieced movie in the last 25 years. The result: the Usual Suspects, one hell of a movie that redefines the word plot twist.
The story is convoluted, and is really confusing to read, although easy to follow on screen. Special investigator Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) grills "Verbal" Kint (Kevin Spacey), a crippled con- man who is the lone survivor of an LA boat explosion that claimed more than 20 victims. Kujan wants to confirm that his nemesis, the rogue cop Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), is actually dead. Kint relates the majority of the film in flashback, beginning with the fateful day when five shifty guys meet in a police-station lineup in New York City. What follows is a shell-game of violence and betrayal, all hinging on the identity of a mysterious villain called Keyser Soze.
The film is brilliantly compact: it's the shortest 105 minutes you'll ever spend watching a movie. The cast is exceptional. Palminteri shines, he is brutally honest, a true cop, one who is going after the whole story because its there. Stephen Baldwin, Benicio Del Toro, Gabriel Byrne, and Kevin Pollak are all exceptional as the other suspects that are tagged along within the story that is told by Verbal.
However, this will be forever known as the film that launched Kevin Spacey. Spacey is simply breathtaking, he is a force on screen, giving a magnetic performance that jars the senses at the end of this twisting maze. Spacey's performance will be remembered for years, for it is the best of his career. Verbal Kint is a clever storyteller, weak, oppressed, and gleefully evil to the bone, yet pitiful, one who draws sympathy. What this film boils down to is one of the greatest twists in cinematic history. I won't dare spoil it, but let me be assured that you will be amazed.
Kudos to McQuarrie and Singer for giving the audience a delightful, fast-paced, furiously plot- driven movie with quirky characters, phenomenal acting, and some hilarious moments that lead up to a climactic and shocking twist. I highly recommend it.