Plot: What’s it about?
After an explosion on the waterfront docks, eye witness Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) prepares to leave after giving his report, but his exit won’t be that soon. Although Kint has told the police what he knows, an officer named Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri) wishes to speak with him and extract additional information. Kujan knows that Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne) was involved in the explosion and while Kint claims he was killed, Kujan has his doubts. Keaton was a former police officer himself, before he turned to crime and was booted off the force. Then he was assumed dead after an explosion, but as fate has it, he was still alive after all, but Keaton stated he was out of crime and just wanted to start over. So now it looks as if Keaton is dead again, but Kujan is determined to know the truth this time, no matter what it takes. So he sits down with Kint and asks to hear the entire story, how Verbal met Keaton, what kind of operations they were involved in, and every last detail he is able to recollect. So Kint relays the tale of a fateful night when five criminals met in a most unusual lineup, become partners in several criminal endeavors, and ended up at the service of one Keyser Soze…
An intense thriller loaded with great performances, superb writing, and one hell of an ending, The Usual Suspects is one of the genre’s finest modern efforts. The film has a stacked deck of workers, but the star power remains in order here, as the actors mesh together instead of jockeying for position, which happens a lot in star studded pictures. I know the talent here is not all A list, but the cast is filled with well known performers and to see them all work together so well, it just elevates the film a few notches. As great as the cast is however, you have to give some credit to writer Christopher McQuarrie for his excellent material and director Bryan Singer for weaving it all together so well. The Usual Suspects grabs you by the throat from the start and refuses to release you until the last second, which is what a thriller of this kind should do, I think. I also like how this movie never relies on cheap thrills or endless red herrings, it lays out a complex, well planned storyline and lets it unfold, while we’re glued to the screen. In other words, this is a great movie and since MGM has given it a terrific treatment, a purchase is in order, without a doubt.
This role earned him an Oscar and I think he more than deserved it, as Kevin Spacey anchors this film and puts on one hell of a show. This is very much an ensemble piece, but Spacey is the central focus of the story, so a lot rides on his performance. As per usual, he delivers on all counts and makes the material shine, so The Usual Suspects works. If he hadn’t been so dead on, I think the film would have lost much of its impact, since Spacey serves as a narrator of sorts, in addition to his normal screen chores. But then again, the part was written with him in mind and he never stumbles even for a second, so perhaps there was never any doubt with this one. Other films with Spacey include American Beauty, Swimming with Sharks, The Negotiator, Outbreak, L.A. Confidential, and Pay it Forward. The cast also includes Gabriel Byrne (End of Days, Miller’s Crossing), Stephen Baldwin (Zebra Lounge, Threesome), Benicio Del Toro (Traffic, Excess Baggage), and Chazz Palminteri (A Bronx Tale, Analyze This).
Video: How does it look?
The Usual Suspects is presented in a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer, with a full frame edition also included on this dual layered disc. This is a massive improvement over the previous edition, as the anamorphic treatment irons out a lot of the wrinkles, like shimmering, jagged edges, and other noticeable errors. The image here is sharper and more refined, with a better sense of detail and subtle touches, very impressive indeed. The print looks cleaner too, with less nicks, softness, and grain, which enhances the image a lot. The colors are smooth and bold, while black levels are on the mark throughout also. I was very pleased when I heard MGM was creating a new transfer for this release and by all accounts, they have delivered the goods and then some.
Audio: How does it sound?
Also new to this edition is a Dolby Digital 5.1 option, which offers added depth and range that the prior 2.0 surround track couldn’t manage. The result is not worlds apart from the original, but some nice improvements can be heard here, without question. This track adds in some great ambient and atmospheric audio elements, which make the scenes seem more natural and by turn, more effective. I noticed some extra power in the few action driven sequences also, so the differences aren’t limited to just smaller touches. The musical score seems to be more expansive too and with such a great one, that is excellent news. The dialogue remains as clean and sharp as before, so nothing is lost or lessened in the transition here. This disc also includes a French language option, as well as subtitles in English, Spanish, and French.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This wouldn’t too special of a special edition without some extras, so MGM has topped off this disc with some great ones, including two audio commentary tracks. The first track is with director Bryan Singer and writer Christopher McQuarrie, which is ported over from the previous disc and ranks as one of the top sessions out there. The two have a great sense of humor and take through the entire process, from the film’s roots to the cast to the end result, simply one of the finest examples of a commentary you’ll find. The other track is with editor John Ottoman, who has a lot to talk about and really delves into his work on the film, which is cool I think, because we don’t hear from many editors. Next is a selection of behind the scenes featurettes, which focus on various topics from Keyser Soze’s origins to the cast’s experiences at Cannes to more general behind the scenes material. We have about an hour and a half’s worth of content all told, as the featurettes combine to shed some real light into the production, as well as how it impacted the careers of all those involved. This disc also includes a priceless gag reel, eight television spots, some deleted scenes, and two of the film’s theatrical trailers.
