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Anjali:
Cast
Directer&writer:Maniratnam
Music:illayaraja
Actors
Shamily as Anjali
Revathy as Chitra
Raghuvaran as Shekar
IMDB rating 7.6/10
Shamily got Indian national award For Best Child Artist
Chitra, her husband, Shekar, and two children, Arjun and Anu live in a rural area in India. When Chitra is expecting her third child, she is taken on a stormy night to a hospital where she is informed that her child, a girl, has been stillborn. Shortly thereafter the family re-locates to a flat in the city where Shekar works as an Architect at a construction site. Two years later, Chitra starts suspecting Shekar of having an extra-marital affair. When confronted, Shekar is at first elusive, then finally admits that Chitra did give birth to a brain-damaged child, who he left at the care of the hospital. Chitra brings the child home, much to the chagrin of Arjun and Anu, and other neighborhood kids. To make matters more complicated, Shekar witnesses the murder of a Police Inspector, and comes forward to testify, knowing fully well that the killer as well as the Police Department would like to close this file as a suicide. Watch what happens when things snow-ball out of control as Shekar faces off with his neighbors, who want him evicted because of Anjali, and the killer - who wants him to withdraw his testimony
What's Eating Gilbert Grape:
Date Released: 3/4/94 (general)
Running Length: 1:57
Rated: PG-13 (Mature themes, language)
Starring: Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Juliette Lewis, Mary Steenburgen, Darlene Cates
Director: Lasse Hallstrom
Producers: Meir Teper, Bertil Ohlsson, and David Matalon
Screenplay: Peter Hedges from his novel
Music: Alan Parker and Bjorn Isfalt
Released by Paramount Pictures
IMDB Rating 7.8/10
Nominated For Oscar in 1994 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Leonardo DiCaprio; Golden Globe in 1994 for Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Leonardo DiCaprio.
Another good film from jhonny deep.What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, from renowned Swedish director Lasse Hallstrom (My Life as a Dog), is a grim tale about being trapped in Endora, Iowa, the self-proclaimed "End of the Line." Recounting the unhappy life of Gilbert Grape, the movie is not the kind of experience that many viewers are likely to find enjoyable. Even the humor -- what little there is of it -- is of the gallows variety.
Gilbert (Johnny Depp) has the weighty responsibility of assuming the role of father-figure in a dysfunctional family. His real dad is long dead, the victim of a suicide, and his exceptionally obese mother (Darlene Cates) is generally incapable of moving from the sofa where she spends most of her life. Gilbert's brain-damaged younger brother, Arnie (Leonardo DiCaprio), has to be constantly watched lest he climb to the top of a watertower and throw himself off. Away from home, Gilbert works in the local grocery store, hangs out with his friends, and carries on an affair with Better Carver (Mary Steenburgen), the wife of a local insurance salesman.
If you want to see someone who has it worse off than you, take a look at Gilbert Grape. Virtually nothing goes right for him, and that's the reason why, while the film is well-written (albeit a little too long) and competently acted (with one exception), Gilbert Grape is often an unpleasant experience. This is the kind of motion picture that can get a viewer squirming in his or her seat.
Gilbert is trapped, and this comes across with deafening volume through the wonderfully understated performance by Johnny Depp. We can see the walls of his life threatening to crush him -- the grinding monotony of his job, the desperation of his affair, and the lack of freedom demanded by his home life. He is George to Leonardo DiCaprio's Lenny, and it doesn't take a literary genius to recognize the Of Mice and Men similarities.
Into all of this gnawing monotony comes a fresh face in the form of Juliette Lewis' Becky. Of course, Gilbert falls in love with her, and Arnie develops his own sort of crush. Like most of the characters in the film, what we see of Becky is vividly drawn, but there's not much depth to her. It's a full-color snapshot, but there's no way to tell what lies beyond the borders.
Part of the problem with Becky is Juliette Lewis. The young actress, who was so impressive in Cape Fear, has continuously turned in one-note performances since then. There's not a whole lot to differentiate any of her characters from the others, and it's becoming increasingly apparent that what we saw in her debut was the apex of her abilities. Since then, it's been all downhill, and Gilbert Grape represents a new low.
Leonardo DiCaprio is convincing as Arnie, even if his performance is, of necessity, over-the-top. For a more subtle and telling example of his skills, see This Boy's Life. The rest of the cast handles their roles with aplomb, especially Mary Kate Schellhardt, who makes the most of limited screen time as Gilbert and Arnie's youngest sister, Ellen. Judging by the job she does here, Schellhardt has a lot of promise.
If you're in the mood to be cheered up, What's Eating Gilbert Grape? isn't the right choice. The claustrophobia felt by Gilbert as his world slowly suffocates him is effectively translated to the audience. Had the film been a little better-focused, this could have been a devastating character study. As it is, it rambles a little too much. This leads to an uneven, albeit stark, examination of the life of one man trying desperately to escape a prison whose bars have been fashioned out of fate and responsibility.
Malena:
Italy/United States, 2000
U.S. Release Date: 12/25/00 (Limited)
Running Length: 1:32
MPAA Classification: R (Nudity, sexual situations, violence)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Luciano Federico, Matilde Piana, Pietro Notarianni, Gaetano Aronica, Gilberto Idonea
Director: Giuseppe Tornatore
Producers: Carlo Bernasconi, Harvey Weinstein
Screenplay: Giuseppe Tornatore, based on a story by Luciano Vincenzoni
Cinematography: Lajos Koltai
Music: Ennio Morricone
U.S. Distributor: Miramax Films
In Italian with subtitles
Malena, the film from Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, is a curious mix of whimsy and tragedy. Tornatore's blending of the divergent tones is not entirely successful - there are several jarring moments - but, on the whole, Malena works as an affecting coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of Fascist Italy and filtered through the memories of the narrator. Along the way, Tornatore sticks to the same basic style that served him well in his 1989 international hit, Cinema Paradiso, by employing equal parts nostalgia, comedy, and drama.
The year is 1940 and the place is the picturesque (and fictional) town of Castelcuta, Sicily. 13-year old Renato Amoroso (Giuseppe Sulfaro) is about to experience his first major adolescent crush when he catches a glimpse of Melena Scordia (Monica Bellucci). Melena, the daughter of Latin teacher Professor Bonsignore (Pietro Notarianni), has come to Castelcuta to care for her father while her husband is away at war. As Malena walks by, every man's head turns and women's tongues wag with scathing gossip. Then Melena's husband is killed in the war and she becomes free to pursue and be pursued by Castelcuta's male population. Meanwhile, Renato, whose infatuation develops into an obsession, begins spying on Malena and, in the process, learns that the "real" Malena is much different than his idealized portrait of her.
Ultimately, this is really Renato's story. He is the narrator (gazing back through the mists of decades at his childhood) and the emotional focus of the story is on how his perception of Melena helps him to develop into a man. When the film begins, he is in short pants (a sign of childhood), but, before it ends four years later, he has made the symbolic transition to long pants and burgeoning adulthood. Through it all, his obsessive interest in Melena is a constant companion, even though he never speaks to her. For Renato, she represents the unattainable, and his affections are clearly unrequited. Nevertheless, as her reputation in Castelcuta deteriorates and she is branded a prostitute, he feels betrayed by her because she is unable to live up to the mental image he has constructed of her.
Malena begins as a lighthearted drama that recalls one of Federico Fellini's best-known works, Amarcord. Tornatore does not have Fellini's deft hand, however, and the story eventually takes a dark turn, with some of its themes and ideas recalling the late Krzysztof Kieslowski's A Short Film About Love, in which a young voyeur comes has his fantasy picture of a woman brutally shattered by an encounter with her. The shifts in tone may make some viewers uncomfortable (especially one scene of graphic brutality that depicts what happens to Malena when she is subjected to the justice of the women of Castelcuta), but they work if we consider that the story is being presented as a series of conflicted and at times incomplete memories of someone who saw Malena as everything from a Madonna to a whore.
Malena isn't really a character; she's a vision to enflame Renato's imagination (not to mention other parts of him). As such, the key achievement for model-turned-actress Monica Bellucci is to look stunning - something she has no difficulty with, whether clothed or unclothed. Bellucci does a good job of making Melena seem aloof and stand-offish (which is how she appears to Renato), except during one or two scenes when her dire circumstances show her vulnerability. For his part, newcomer Giuseppe Sulfaro, who was discovered after an extensive casting search, does solid work portraying a boy whose guide through puberty is an untouchable woman. (When his father brings him to the local brothel to be initiated into the world of sexual maturity, Renato chooses a prostitute who strongly resembles Malena.)
One of the most powerful elements of Malena is the music, by frequent Tornatore collaborator and legendary composer, Ennio Morricone. Combined with cinematographer Lajos Koltai's sweeping camera work and beautifully photographed vistas, the music gives Malena a glorious backdrop against which the story can unfold. This is not the writer/director's most accomplished feature (Cinema Paradiso is a more complete and emotionally satisfying experience), but it offers a strong central character, an interesting historical subtext, and a coming-of-age narrative that most people will be able to relate to on one level or another.
Shindler's List:
United States, 1993
U.S. Release Date: 12/15/93 (limited), 12/25/93 (wide)
Running Length: 3:15
MPAA Classification: R (Violence, Holocaust images, nudity, sex)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Embeth Davidtz, Jonathan Sagalle
Director: Steven Spielberg
Producers: Steven Spielberg, Gerald R. Molen, Branko Lustig
Screenplay: Steven Zaillian based on the novel by Thomas Keneally
Cinematography: Janusz Kaminski
Music: John Williams
U.S. Distributor: Universal Pictures
Won Seven Academy Awards
Best Director-Steven Spielberg(Also won Golden Globe)
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium-Steven Zaillian(Also Golden Globe)
Best Picture-Steven Spielberg,Gerald R. Molen,Branko Lustig(Also won Golden Globe)
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration-Allan Starski,Ewa Braun
Best Cinematography-Janusz Kaminski
Best Film Editing-Michael Kahn
Best Music, Original Score-John Williams
There have been numerous documentaries and dramatic productions focusing on the Holocaust, including a television mini-series which many consider to be the definitive work. As a result, in deciding to film Schindler's List, director Steven Spielberg (Jurassic Park) set an imposing task for himself. His vision needed to differ from that of the film makers who preceded him, yet the finished product had to remain faithful to the unforgettable images which represent the legacy of six million massacred Jews. Those who see this motion picture will witness Spielberg's success.
The film opens in September of 1939 in Krakow, Poland, with the Jewish community under increasing pressure from the Nazis. Into this tumult comes Oskar Schindler (Liam Neeson), a Nazi businessman interested in obtaining Jewish backing for a factory he wishes to build. He makes contact with Itzhak Stern (Ben Kingsley), an accountant, to arrange financial matters. For a while, there is no interest and nothing happens.
March 1941. The Krakow Jewish community has been forced to live in "the Ghetto", where money no longer has any meaning. Several elders agree to invest in Schindler's factory and the DEF (Deutsche Emailwarenfabrik) is born - a place where large quantities of pots are manufactured. To do the work, Schindler hires Jews (because they're cheaper than Poles), and the German army becomes his biggest customer.
March 1943. Germany's intentions towards the Jews are no longer a secret. The Ghetto is "liquidated", with the survivors being herded into the Plaszow Forced Labor Camp. Many are executed, and still others are shipped away by train, never to return. During this time, Schindler has managed to ingratiate himself with the local commander, Amon Goeth (Ralph Fiennes), a Nazi who kills Jews for sport. Using his relationship with Goeth, Schindler begins to secretly campaign to help the Jews, saving men, women, and children from certain death.
Spielberg elected to film this motion picture in black-and-white, and it's impossible to argue with his choice. Director of Photography Janusz Kaminski has made effective use of shadow and light, meticulously limiting the application of hue. The opening scene is in color, as is the closing sequence (which features the surviving "Schindler Jews", each accompanied by the actor who played their character, placing a stone on their savior's grave). There are also two instances when color is allowed to bleed into the blacks, whites, and grays. One little girl's jacket appears red so that she stands out from the masses, and a pair of candles burn with orange flames. When color is used, it makes a point and an impression.
Schindler's List gives us three major stories and a host of minor ones. First and foremost, it tells the tale of the Holocaust, presenting new images of old horrors. These are as ghastly and realistic as anything previously filmed, and Spielberg emphasizes the brutality of the situation by not pulling punches when it comes to gore. The blood, inky rather than crimson in stark black-and-white, fountains when men and women are shot in the head or through the neck.
The second story is that of Oskar Schindler, the Nazi businessman who saved 1200 Jews from death. Schindler starts out as a self-centered manufacturer, concerned only about making money. He hires Jews because they're cheap, not because he likes them. But his perspective changes, and he risks losing everything to save as many lives as he can. His eventual lament that he couldn't save more is heartbreaking.
The third story belongs to Amon Goeth, the Nazi commander of Krakow, a man who teeters on the brink of madness. Despite his intense hatred for Jews, he is inexplicably attracted to his Jewish housekeeper, Helen Hirsch (Embeth Davidtz). Disgusted by his feelings, he lashes out at her with a display of violence that is almost Scorsese-like in its blunt presentation. As written, Goeth could easily have become a conscienceless monster, but Spielberg works carefully to show unexpected depth and complexity to his character.
Often, the experiences of the minor characters provide the most lasting images. Helen's story is memorable, as is the plight of young Danka Dresner and her mother as they strive to avoid death while staying together. There's a Jewish couple that marries in the Plaszow camp, even though their chances of survival are dim, and a Rabbi who survives a close encounter with a Nazi gun.
Of course the Holocaust images are grim, but scenes of mass graves and exhumed bodies are not unique to Schindler's List. While it's impossible to deny their power, potentially more distubing are the instances of callous, individual murder. Spielberg doesn't spare his audience when it comes to sudden violence or the dehumanizing factors involved in such events. After all, Jews were viewed as "vermin." Schindler's List is replete with moments like this.
The acting is uniformly excellent. Liam Neeson's Schindler is shown in all his complexity, and his transformation is played with studied control. This is no sudden reversal of philosophy, but a matter of conscience that slowly dawns on the man. With a keen sense of Schindler's character, Neeson depicts the metamorphosis from self-centered businessman to driven messiah.
Ben Kingsley, whose Gandhi transfixed audiences years ago, has the movie's most understated role -- one that he acts with simple sincerity. Equally as impressive is Embeth Davidtz, who snares the viewer's attention during her limited screen time as Helen Hirsch, the object of Amon Goeth's twisted affection. Speaking of Goeth, Ralph Fiennes stuns with his intricate, savage portrayal of the Nazi commander, a man fascinated by power and murder. Fiennes' Goeth has the rare ability to both mesmerize and repulse, and this is a performance that will long be remembered.
Despite the grisly subject matter, this movie is essentially about uncovering a kernel of hope and dignity in the midst of a monstrous tragedy. The story of Oskar Schindler's sacrifices for the Jews sets this apart from other Holocaust dramas. Uncompromising in its portrayal of good, evil, and all the shades in between, Schindler's List offers a clear view of human nature laid bare: hatred, greed, lust, envy, anger, and, most important of all, empathy and love. Because this film touches us so deeply, the catharsis has a power that few -- if any -- other moments in film history can match. And that's what establishes this as a transcendent motion picture experience.
Inglorious Basterds:
Cast
Director&Writer:
Quentin Tarantino
Brad Pitt(Lt. Aldo Raine)
Mélanie Laurent(Shosanna Dreyfus)
Christoph Waltz(Col. Hans Landa)
IMDB Rat:8.4/10
Christoph Waltz: Acadamy Award And Golden Globe Award For Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Back in his days as the geek god of clerks at Manhattan Beach Video Archives, Quentin Tarantino must have looked at all those World War II movies, especially the ones about plots to kill Hitler, and realized what was wrong: everybody knows the ending. Bad guys lose. Hitler died in his bunker. Where's the suspense? Where's the ambiguity? Most films about the war treat the historical record as sacred, which often serves as an excuse for lofty moral judgments. Only a few bold souls created alternative versions, like the 1963 film It Happened Here, in which Kevin Brownlow and Andrew Mollo imagined a Nazi-occupied Britain. Tarantino's rewrite is more brazen still, with a twist that's pure Hollywood. Hitler will die where? In a movie theater. And who will kill him? Some Jews.
Inglourious Basterds — the anomalies in spelling are to distinguish Tarantino's film from a not-so-hot 1978 Italian movie variation on The Dirty Dozen — convenes Resistance fighters from Germany and France and soldiers from Britain and the U.S. in a scheme to destroy the Third Reich. (Apparently the Russians were too busy actually winning the ground war to take part.) The Basterds are a unit of Jews — American and German — under the command of Brad Pitt's Lieutenant Aldo Raine, a tough, jovial hillbilly who sees his mission as the killing and scalping of Nazis. Any German soldiers, in fact. They're all the same to Aldo. (See a brief history of WWII movies.)
The scalping is appropriately detailed, and several guns are pointed at the tender areas of adversaries. But this is a 2 1/2-hour war movie without a single scene on the front lines. No long tracking shots of soldiers in foxholes or marching across an open field with a chorus of rifle fire. Fans of the operatic violence in Pulp Fiction and the Kill Bill movies eager for a thick new slab of steak Tarantino will be disappointed. There are glimpses of Q.T.'s deft cinematic footwork: a quick flashback to the Basterds' springing of a famous Nazi killer from prison; a moment in bed with a German officer and his French interpreter; a crowd shot in which high-ranking Nazis are ID'd with their names printed over their heads. Most of the film, though, reminds you that Tarantino may be a world-class director but what he really wants to do is write. Here the most explosive confrontations are verbal — long dialogues, often admirably tense and usually in French or German. (It's basically a foreign-language film.) The chats take the form of interrogations. A German officer probes; a Resistance fighter evades. (Read "Blood Sport.")
The officer, Colonel Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz), is a nastily smooth operator: oozing charm like pus, with a courtly tone and a preening self-regard. Known as the Jew Hunter, he calls himself a detective, trying to stop a war crime. Among his suspects are a French Jewess, Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent), who has escaped Landa's grasp and now runs a movie theater in Paris; and Bridget Von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), a leading lady of German cinema who is secretly in league with British intelligence. Many Tarantino movies are female revenge fantasies, in which strong women plot the deaths of men who wronged them. In Shosanna and Bridget, the writer-director has fashioned two of his steeliest, most principled femmes fatales. (Read "Inglourious Basterds: Tarantino and the Jews Defeat Hitler!")
Laurent, Kruger and Waltz (who earned the Best Actor award at Cannes in May) are the soul of the film. Their conversations percolate with menace because Tarantino plants plot elements that blossom later for maximum impact. When Colonel Landa asks one of the ladies for her shoe and, at a restaurant, orders milk for the other, you feel nooses tightening around their necks and yours. In these scenes and another in a basement bar where the smallest wrong gesture cues a bloodbath, Tarantino shows how to achieve drama through whispers and forced smiles. The parallel plot of a budding romance between Shosanna and a German war hero (Daniel Brühl) has a similar trajectory — the pot simmers, then the lid blows off — and the same artful mix of subtlety and surprise. These vignettes work much better than the big set pieces, with the Nazis in the movie theater or the Basterds in the field. You needn't scalp a man to make his hair stand on end.
It's just possible that Tarantino, having played a trick on history, is also fooling his fans. They think they're in for a Hollywood-style war movie starring Brad Pitt. What they're really getting is the cagiest, craziest, grandest European film of the year.
The Shawshank Redemption:
United States, 1994
U.S. Release Date: 9/23/94 (limited)
Running Length: 2:22
MPAA Classification: R (Violence, language, mature themes)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Bob Gunton, William Sadler, Clancy Brown, Gil Bellows
Director: Frank Darabont
Producer: Niki Marvin
Screenplay: Frank Darabont based on "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption" by Stephen King
Cinematography: Roger Deakins
Music: Thomas Newman
U.S. Distributor: Columbia Pictures
seven Nomination for academy award
With a legion of titles like Pet Sematary, Firewalker, Sleepwalkers, Maximum Overdrive, and Children of the Corn, it's reasonable not to expect much from Stephen King-inspired motion pictures. Adaptations of the prolific author's work typically vary from mildly entertaining to virtually unwatchable. There are a few notable exceptions, however; two of which (Stand by Me, Misery) were crafted by widely-respected director Rob Reiner. While The Shawshank Redemption is not a Reiner movie per se, it is a production of Castle Rock Pictures (Reiner's film company), and ranks among the best filmed versions of any King stories to date. (This statement has not changed since I first wrote it in 1994.)
Spanning the years from 1947 through 1966, The Shawshank Redemption takes the "innocent man in prison" theme and bends it at a different angle. Instead of focusing on crusades for freedom, the movie ventures down a less-traveled road, concentrating on the personal cost of adapting to prison life and how some convicts, once they conform, lose the ability to survive beyond the barbed wire and iron bars. As one of the characters puts it: "These [prison] walls are funny. First you hate them, then you get used to them, then you start to depend on them."
Filmed on location in a disused Ohio prison, The Shawshank Redemption is set in a place of perpetual dreariness. What little color there is, is drab and lifeless (lots of grays and muted greens and blues), and there are times when the film is a shade away from black-and-white (give credit to cinematographer Roger Deakins, a longtime Cohen brothers collaborator). It's ironic, therefore, that the central messages are of hope, redemption, and salvation.
First time feature director Frank Darabont helms a fleet of impressive performances. Tim Robbins, as Andrew Dufresne, plays the wrongly convicted man with quiet dignity. Andy's ire is internal; he doesn't rant about his situation or the corruptness of the system that has imprisoned him. His unwillingness to surrender hope wins him the admiration of some and the contempt of others, and allows the audience to identify with him that much more strongly.
The Odd Couple Ellis Boyd Redding (Morgan Freeman), or "Red" as his friends call him, is the self-proclaimed "Sears and Roebuck" of the Shawshank Prison (for a price, he can get just about anything from the outside). His is the narrative voice and, for once, the disembodied words aid, rather than intrude upon, the story. Serving a life sentence for murder, Red is a mixture of cynicism and sincerity - a man with a good soul who has done a vile deed. His friendship with Andy is one of The Shawshank Redemption's highlights.
William Sadler (as a fellow prisoner), Clancy Brown (as a sadistic guard), and Bob Gunton (as the corrupt warden) all give fine supporting performances. Newcomer Gil Bellows, in a small but crucial role (that was originally intended for Brad Pitt), brings the poise of a veteran to his portrayal of Tommy Williams, Andy's protege.
Ultimately, the standout actor is the venerable James Whitmore, doing his finest work in years. Whitmore's Brooks is a brilliantly realized character, and the scenes with him attempting to cope with life outside of Shawshank represents one of the film's most moving - and effective - sequences.
Unfortunately, following a solid two hours of thought-provoking drama, the movie deflates like a punctured balloon during its overlong denouement. The too-predictable final twenty minutes move a little slowly, and writer/director Darabont exposes a distressing need to wrap up everything into a tidy little package.
"Salvation lies within," advises Warden Norton at one point. It is the presentation of this theme that makes The Shawshank Redemption unique. Prison movies often focus on the violence and hopelessness of a life behind bars. While this film includes those elements, it makes them peripheral. The Shawshank Redemption is all about hope and, because of that, watching it is both uplifting and cathartic.
The Usual Suspects:
United States, 1995
U.S. Availability: 8/95 (limited)
Running Length: 1:46
MPAA Classification: R (Profanity, violence)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Cast: Gabriel Byrne, Kevin Spacey, Stephen Baldwin, Kevin Pollak, Benicio Del Toro, Chazz Palminteri, Pete Postlethwaite, Giancarlo Esposito, Suzy Amis, Dan Hedaya
Director: Bryan Singer
Producers: Michael McDonnell and Bryan Singer
Screenplay: Christopher McQuarrie
Cinematography: Newton Thomas Sigel
Music: John Ottman
U.S. Distributor: Gramercy Pictures
Won two Academy award for supporting role male(kevin spacey),screenplay(Christopher McQuarrie)
The "usual suspects" are five men: Dean Keaton (Gabriel Byrne), an ex-cop-turned-crook who's known for his steely demeanor and nerves of iron; Michael McManus (Stephen Baldwin), a psycho entry man; Todd Hockney (Kevin Pollak), a hardware specialist with an instinct for self-preservation; Fred Fenster (Benicio Del Toro), McManus' partner; and Verbal Klint (Kevin Spacey), a crippled con man. As the movie opens, these five are being bundled into a lineup. A truckload of stolen guns has been hijacked and the cops, led by U.S. Customs Special Agent Dave Kujan (Chazz Palminteri), are primed to get their man. But no one cracks, and as the criminals sit together in jail waiting to be charged or released, they hatch a plan for an elaborate emerald heist.
The story is told in two different time frames. In the present, looking back on events, Klint sits across a desk from Kujan, unfolding the tale as he remembers it. But the con man is an unreliable narrator, and viewers of The Usual Suspects are constantly kept guessing about what "truth" is. In fiction films, we're used to getting an impartial take on "reality"; this picture twists that principle. Not everything presented in The Usual Suspects actually happens, and some things occur differently than shown. The opening sequence, which details the climax of the gang's capers, teases the audience about what may or may not be the ultimate resolution.
Director Bryan Singer, who debuted in 1993 with Public Access, has crafted another in the recent batch of '90s noir thrillers. The Usual Suspects is steeped in atmosphere, and borrows heavily from dozens of sources -- Hitchcock, Scorsese, the Coen brothers, and just about every master of the genre, past or present. Like Quentin Tarantino, Singer's greatest strength is culling moments from other sources and using them in his own mold. There aren't many unique instances in The Usual Suspects, but the entire film is infused with a freshness that results from the manner in which Singer has produced it. The energetic, serpentine plot provides the perfect playground in which a series of deliciously devious characters can have fun.
As the narrative progresses, The Usual Suspects constantly raises the stakes. The audience is only slowly let into the story -- at the beginning, everyone on-screen knows more than we do. Gradually, however, the skein of deceptions and plot devices is untangled by the switches back and forth between present and past. This film requires that a viewer pay careful attention to details. Those who get lost have only themselves to blame -- The Usual Suspects doesn't take any prisoners. A trip to the bathroom or the snack bar will leave you floundering when you return.
The cast is solid, and several of the actors play against type. Kevin Pollak (A Few Good Men), typically known for comic relief/nice guy roles, is cold-blooded here. Kevin Spacey (The Ref), in the best performance of the film, is completely convincing as the gimpy coward who prefers jobs that don't require killing. Gabriel Byrne (Little Women) pulls off his role as the most enigmatic of the quintet, and Stephen Baldwin (Threesome) is the perfect maniac. Benicio Del Toro (Fearless) provides most of the humor, much of which comes as a result of his nearly indecipherable accent. The supporting cast includes Giancarlo Esposito (Do the Right Thing), Pete Postlethwaite (In the Name of the Father), Suzy Amis (The Ballad of Little Jo), and Dan Hedaya (Blood Simple).
Singer does an excellent job of blending humor into his noir thriller. There's enough to avoid a sense of ponderousness, but not so much that The Usual Suspects becomes campy. Unlike many motion pictures, this one continually builds to its conclusion. It starts out as the story of a small job, then evolves into a search for the dreaded Keyser Soze -- a legendary criminal of such viciousness that even hardened men like Keaton think twice before crossing him. The Usual Suspects moves towards its inevitable finale, Soze's shadowy presence becomes increasingly more ominous and important, and we get the sense that those who think they hold the cards actually have the weakest hands. In the way it folds its various elements into a single resolution (which the astute viewer will be able to guess beforehand), Singer's film can be accused of toying with the audience. However, at times like this, when the person tugging the strings is adept at his craft, being toyed with can be a worthwhile experience. The Usual Suspects is an accomplished synthesis of noir elements and, as such, is an entertaining entry to the genre.
Some other Movies
Apocalypto:
Forrest Gump:
Brave Heart:
Nayagan:
Heyram:
Fight Club:
Saving Private ryan:
