A 1995 American neo-noir film starring Kevin Spacey directed by Bryan Singer
< read all 13 reviewsAt one point, Kint suggests that "The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist." That comment offers what I consider to be a useful perspective on the film because so much of what happens (or seems to happen) is unconvincing. I began to wonder, which (if any) of the characters can I trust? Was there really a mobster named Keyser Soze? If so, so what? With especially effective use of flashbacks in coordination with Kint's extended interrogation by NYPD detective Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri), Singer seems to be guiding us to one conclusion...only to have another occur, one which left me asking "Has all this been a dream? Or is it a practical joke? What am I to believe?" Recalling Kint's comment after I saw The Usual Suspects for the first time, I was almost convinced that Singer's "greatest trick" was that his film "didn't exist." Of course it does...and becomes more and less clear every time I see it. Hence this film's elusive but compelling appeal, one which I, at least, am unable to explain in a brief commentary such as this.
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