Distinct Though Overrated

Rating: 4/10 (24 July 2003)

Distinct within its genre, though alarmingly overrated, 'The Usual Suspects' is a popular film whose reputation is likely to prove ephemeral. A group of east coast rogues use their unexpected gathering in a routine law enforcement roundup to plan a series of high-profile jobs, only to realize that forces higher than themselves are in control of their plans. Guided by a largely unpolished script, the film's numerous characters -only some of whom appear visually convincing- engage in a dialogue-based interplay that satisfies less than it entertains. Well-trained American actors like Chazz Palminteri and Kevin Spacey seem to have left their vast acting reservoirs essentially untouched, while even the Europeans Gabriel Byrne and Pete Postlethwaite, though refreshingly decent, appear to have their eyes primarily set on payday. The film's much talked about ending is somewhat predictable within its unpredictability, and the directorial and musical inputs, which can ideally salvage conventional visual sequences, are not much help either. Overall, 'The Usual Suspects' deserves to be watched in the context of Hollywood's increasingly sterile fascination with the criminal underworld. Veteran spectators, however, should restrain their expectations far below the over-exultant levels of most reviews.