THE USUAL SUSPECTS (1995)

WHO is Keyser Soze?

It was one of the more intriguing questions posted within cinemas in the Summer of 1995 and for good reason.  Identifying this mysterious spectral crime boss whom EVERY ONE else on screen was afaid of became the central mystery of this small indie crime thriller from a couple of relatively untested fimmakers with a very electic cast.  The director was Bryan Singer (X-Men Days of Future Past, Bohemian Rhapsody) and the Oscar-winning screenplay was by Christopher McQuarrie (Mission Impossible Fallout, Jack Reacher).  The stacked ensemble cast included Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollack, Chazz Palminteri, Giancarlo Esposito, Dan Hedaya, Suzy Amis, and Kevin Spacey who also won an Oscar for his memorable performance as Verbal Kint...or was it some one else? ;)  This twisty action drama became one of the most talked about films of that year and eventually one of the more beloved, influential films of the 1990's.  Now approaching its 30th Anniversary, it's time to head back to the docks of San Pedro and find out if there actually IS any dope on that boat......  

Host & Editor: Geoff Gershon

Editor: Ella Gershon

Producer: Marlene Gershon

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Transcript

THE USUAL SUSPECTS – 1995

Directed by Bryan Singer

Starring Stephen Baldwin, Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro, Kevin Pollack, Kevin Spacey, Pete Postlethwaite, Suzy Amis, Giancarlo Esposito, Paul Bartel, Peter Greene, and Chazz Palminteri

Genre: Crime Thriller (Audio clip)

Whatever we now know about Singer and Spacey, this movie still holds up. The tension, the score, the pacing, the sound design, the dialogue, the story structure, the cinematography, a stacked cast of varying levels of performers ALL at their proverbial peak (Kevin Pollack and Stephen Baldwin BOTH were never THIS good, before or since) and of course that "twist"....

And speaking of the cast, it's just an acting decathlon. The performances across the board are simply unabashed, shameless FUN: Giancarlo strutting his Sam Spade with all of the mannerisms as Detective Baer, Chazz talking a mile a minute in an attempt to bogart all of HIS screentime as Federal Agent Dave Coulian, Postlethewaite riffing on the creepiest Bond villain he never got to play as the spectral Kobayashi, Del Toro stealing every moment speaking in a manner no human being has EVER spoken as Fenster, Dan Hedaya reaching new levels of rumpled-ness (even for him) as Detective Rabin, Peter Greene playing the slickest slickster Redfoot, Byrne aggressively busting out the brogue for a character who's supposed to be "New Yawk," as the infamous former cop/now gangster? Dean Keaton and....of course.....SPACEY who earned every plaudit JUST for his monologue about "The Will To Do...." playing Verbal Kint of course….WELL and some one else. 

It's a near-perfect film which is far more than what some of my favorite critics (Ebert, Owen Gleiberman) at the time of release dismissed it as: a gimmick. Granted this "gimmick" serves some deceptively simple themes: brains usually defeats brawn at the end of the day and appearances can be VERY deceiving. You don't want to root for Keyser Soze but you can't help but respect him....and it's just one hell of a ride to figure him out. ;) 

I remember first seeing this upon release with limited knowledge just hearing that it was another "Pulp Fiction knock-off" and I was blown away - this was a year after Pulp Fiction which was a film I (among others) was obsessed with and it was something different for sure....but just as memorable, definitely one of the best theater-going experiences of my life. Rewatching it almost thirty years later - even on a laptop - it's still just as absorbing.

Best Needledrop (best song cue or score used throughout runtime of film) 

Let’s go to about thirty minutes in taking us the first TRUE caper which our now five-man gang embarks on…..their revenge mission on the NYPD, they rob “New York’s Finest Taxi Service.” (Audio clip) 

It’s just a great scene but what makes it even better is the musical preamble leading into it from San Jose’s OWN John Ottman who actually did double-duty on this film as not only composer but editor.  His music throughout is both propulsive and bombastic….there are points where it gets almost OPERATIC, especially things starting going to shit late in the movie on that boat. (Audio clip) 

But back to that preamble….just as a plane is touching down and our gang’s first caper is about to begin, the score gets DISTINCTLY percussive as if there’s a ticking clock which was just set off….and then the violins kick in, a couple of NYPD cops have picked up this big wig in a white suit and are driving into Manhattan….only they have a couple of folks on their tail.  Even if watching this play out didn’t have you intrigued, Ottman’s music certainly does….this track is called, “New York’s Finest.” (Audio clip) 

Wasted Talent (most under-utilized talent involved with film): 

The disturbing things which have ALLEGEDLY (I SAID allegedly) come to light in recent years about both Bryan Singer AND Kevin Spacey….well I don’t see any need to rehash them or re-litigate them.  They’re far from the first breakout talents within entertainment who have disappointed with their ALLEGED harmful actions and sadly, they won’t be the last……and undoubtedly they have also tarnished the legacy of this movie.  If you feel as though watching this movie is an endorsement of their behaviors, then I can’t argue against that.  You do you and sometimes it just not THAT easy to separate the art from the artist, I get it…but I’ll just make one succinct point about that. Just a reminder that this film (as with several others in their respective filmographies from Singer’s THREE excellent X-Men movies to previous episode LA Confidential) is MORE than just the efforts of Spacey and Singer….it involved collaboration from a great number of talented people besides them, seemingly GOOD people who have treated others with respect and decency.  When you’re just CONSIDERING watching a movie like this, just know that….and I’ll get to one of them in just a bit.  

Trailer Moment (scene or moment that best describes this movie):

Look I saw this movie in theaters knowing NOTHING…..I hadn’t even seen a trailer or poster.  So I was there ground-level for it….and so YES I’m going to go the super-obvious route with this category.  And it’s a TIE between bookending scenes for the movie of course….

First that opening line-up scene…not only is a FANTASTIC way to introduce each of the five main principles but it has always FOR ME provided the biggest laugh….Stephen Baldwin’s McMannis delivering HIS line that way, then wagging his tongue after….the reaction of every one around him….and his little hand-smack back-and-forth with Del Toro’s Fenster.  (Audio clip) 

It’s just an ingenious way to set the plot into motion and it even gives just a bit of a hint into the more sinister aspects of Spacey’s performance….because his Verbal is the ONLY one in that line up at the end who gives it a serious reading.  And he does it with that Kubrick downward stare no less… (Audio clip) 

And the other trailer moment – the sequence which has cemented this film’s legacy in both a positive AND negative manner – is of course the ending, the post-interrogation reveal. Spacey’s verbal has sauntered away….crying, seemingly DEFEATED…..and Chazz’s Agent Coulian could not look MORE pleased with himself as he sits down to have some coffee, then observes the wall on the OTHER side of Raben’s office….the wall which he had his BACK to while Verbal was feeding him all of this information….HMMM…..(Audio clip) 

The camera cutting to different images on that wall…..Skokie, IL…..Guatemalan coffee…..the music building…..the various voice-overs coming in and out….Palminteri’s facial expression growing more grim and serious…..images of every character, their deaths….not ONLY is a gratifying culmination of the 95 minutes of bravura filmmaking, performances, and writing which preceded it…..but it is a MASTERCLASS in EDITING.   Infact this sequence simply does not work if it’s not edited THIS well…..not only that but the music cue at the very end, especially that final scrape of the violin. (Audio clip)  

MAJOR plaudits to Spacey for his performance he DESERVED that Oscar for, to Christopher McQuarrie for his ingenious fun-house screenplay which he ALSO deserved that Oscar for, and of course to Bryan Singer for overseeing all of this, ending at JUST the right moment….he of course was NOT nominated for an Oscar though he deserved to be as far as I’m concerned.  But bottom line this ending is among THE best five minutes of storytelling EVER put on celluloid – you wanna call me hyperbolic, I don’t care.  But rewatching this now, this ending ALSO crystallizes the TRUE hero who pulled it all together at the end of the day…..which leads me to….

MVP (person or people most responsible for the success of this film):

OTTMAN….John Ottman.  That ending simply does NOT work if not for how it’s edited….you COULD call it a “recap” but that would be lazy, what he did was take a variety of seemingly unrelated images AND snippets of dialogue….and assembled them into one of THE best cinematic thesis statements you’re ever going to see.  It summarizes the movie, the relationship among the characters, and the theme…..AND he composed the score over it no less.  What an achievement and he has zero Oscar nominations to show for it no less…..well he did EVENTUALLY win an Oscar….for editing Bohemian Rhapsody more than twenty years later….ugh…I’m not even gonna go there.  No matter because for being the TRUE under-sung hero of this movie, John Ottman is the MVP. (Audio clip) 

Final Rating: 4.8 stars out of 5 

Happy 30th Anniversary to one of my favorite films of the 1990’s and undoubtedly one of this particular era’s BEST crime dramas. 

Streaming on Prime Video, kanopy, The Roku Channel, and hoopla

And that ends another PROTECTED FROM UP ON HIGH BY THE PRINCE OF DARKNESS  review!