The Usual Suspects (1995)

 spoilers in the text

I've been wanting to see this film for years, though I've never actually known what it's about. I remember when I was a kid and I saw an advert, I just desperately wanted to see it. It was my kind of movie at the time. We saw a lot of action films at home, and it was a staple of the nineties more or less. You had your Arnold and your Sylvester or your Snipes. I'm rather glad I saw this so late really, as I'd probably not have understood the proper brilliance of it this earlier. 

It's all about five criminals who've been picked for a line-up after a truck filled with guns has been stolen. All of them claim they're not guilty, of course, and in the end because of their annoyance with the way they've been manhandled they decide to work together. Some of them grudgingly of course. However the film begins with the ending - a boat blowing up - and seemingly all of them are dead. 

Despite myself, typical really, I figured out the 'great twist', which I still found amazing despite knowing what was going on. Kevin Spacey is brilliant as always. If this was back in 1995 I'd probably have been utterly clueless and just gaped with the rest of them. Spacey has gained a reputation of course, and is a fantastic actor. It's not stylish or the sort of work one associates with Bryan Singer these days, which is sort of a pity. I'd love to see more these kinds of films from him, as this was certainly perceived as a gem back in the day. Not that he isn't a good director, it's just that these days I'd love to see the more gritty films back in the fold. 

It's about telling a good story in the end. 

We need more of that. 

9/10