After hearing Michael Sanchez discuss The Usual Suspects on two of our podcasts, it was only a matter of time for me to watch it. I definitely enjoyed this film even though I knew the plot twist going in. Bryan Singer was the director, which surprised me as I mainly know him from the X-men franchise. I give The Usual Suspects the Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy rating.
The Usual Suspects was a great crime mystery.
Verbal (Kevin Spacey) tells Detective Dave Kujan the twisty events leading up to a horrific gun battle on a boat. It all started when five criminal, including Verbal, were put in a line-up together that set the chain of events in motion. The film tries to unravel how it got to this point and who exactly is Keyser Söze.
I love most of the performances in this film. Gabriel Byrne is probably the biggest highlight for me. He has a demeanor about him that workers perfectly in the world of crime. He carries a quiet strength about him that totally sells the role of a devious mobster. I also really loved Kevin Spacey who plays a weaker character than I’ve ever seen him play before. He is constantly called a cripple and is frequently the weak link among the people he works with. Benicio Del Toro is funny, Kevin Pollak is a badass, and Stephen Baldwin is who he usually plays.
Usual Suspects really builds on intrigue
The story, written by Christopher McQuarrie, is definitely an interesting one. From the flashback style structure built upon the interrogation of Verbal by Kujan to the ultimate mystery of who is Keyser Söze, the film is interesting. Although there are a couple of heist type scenes, they feel a bit rushed and more of means to furthering the mystery along. It’s an interesting storytelling device to include the standard heists into what is really a story about solving the crime. The team building is essentially rushed as the crew is pushed together because of a police lineup rather than a planned recruiting. However, the team still consists of the usual elements you get in a heist film, but with less delay of getting to the heist.
I definitely will be watching this film again. There is a lot of key moments that I would like to revisit. I kind of want to scrutinize the reveal to see if they tip their hand at any point. I also love hearing lines from a film that I’ve heard in other movies. It’s always cool getting a reference you’d previously missed.
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