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The Usual Suspects, 1995
English, Hungarian, Spanish, French
USA, Germany
Profile of The Usual Suspects
The Usual Suspects can be described as mind bending, cynical, and clever. The plot revolves around witnessing a crime, a mysterious character, and a master criminal. The main genres are independent, thriller, and crime. In terms of style, The Usual Suspects is nonlinear, is neo-noir, and involves twists and turns. In approach, it is serious and realistic. It takes place in the 1990s. The Usual Suspects has received attention for being a cult favorite, a modern classic, and an Oscar winner. It is well suited for a boys' night. Note that it involves profanity and violent content.
Summary of The Usual Suspects
Director Bryan Singer's labyrinthine crime drama centers on five career criminals (played by Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollak, and Stephen Baldwin) who meet after being rounded up for a standard police line-up. Upon their release, the men band together to pull off an intricate heist involving $3 million worth of emeralds. Their success brings them to the attention of the enigmatic Keyser Soze, an unseen, nefarious, and mythic underworld crime figure who coerces them into pulling off an important and highly dangerous job. The scenes that follow make The Usual Suspects one of the most fascinating crime thrillers in cinema history.
Working from the Oscar-winning screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie, Singer adroitly tells the complex story through flashbacks, cross-cutting, and voice-over narration. Such nimble handling of the intricacies of the nonlinear narrative adds to the suspense, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats until the clever, satisfying finale. Singer's expertise in the technical aspects of filmmaking--his use of a dioptic filter to keep two close-up faces in focus, as well as his inventive use of six-frame step printing--helped him earn his reputation as a visually impressive and stylish director. Filled with excellent performances from veteran actors (Kevin Spacey won his first Academy Award for his breakthrough role as Verbal Kint), The Usual Suspects placed Singer squarely on the cinematic map.
Details
| Language: | English, Hungarian, Spanish, French |
| Country: | USA, Germany |
| Release date: | January 1995 |
| Runtime: | 106 min |
| Awards: | Academy Awards |
Awards
Cast and Crew
as Dean Keaton
as Roger 'Verbal' Kint
Photos
Clips

Critics Reviews
Variety
- |
- by: Todd McCarthy
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
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- by: Rick Groen
Users Reviews
- 17.September.2010
- |
- by: James
- James rated this movie
10/10Must See
- 12.August.2010
- |
- by: sotokorro
- sotokorro rated this movie
10/10Must See
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