The Usual Suspects

But this lineup turns out to bring these five people together to go on different jobs.  This is where it all starts. Though Keaton initially refuses to get involved in all this he eventually gives in, as Verbal says “A man can convince anyone he’s somebody else, but never himself”. Through some turn of events, they meet a lawyer Kobayashi (Pete Postlethwaite). Pete gives an incredible performance as Kobayashi.  Kobayashi talks and behaves with idealistic manners but is stern and makes himself clear when things get serious.  He has a job for them from Keyser Soze.

Now this name itself changes everyone’s faces except for Verbal’s who apparently does not know who Keyser Soze is. Keyser Soze has this legendary status not only among the crooks but also among the cops. According to a tale, once a Hungarian gang entered Soze’s house, raped his wife, killed one of his children and threatened to kill the others too so that Soze gives his business to them. To show his will and determination, Soze himself kills his wife and children and lets the last Hungarian go. Once he burries his wife and children he goes after the mob and kills every last one of the people who are related to them. Soze’s character was based on John List, a New Jersey accountant who murdered his family in 1971 and then disappeared for almost two decades.

No one ever knew if Soze existed or was just a myth. The drama they create around Keyser Soze is phenomenal. Even the score of the movie adds to its mystery and excitement.  The interrogation scenes are filled with threats, humour, tension and revelations. We get to see outstanding performances by both the talented actors; Kevin Spacey and Chazz Palminteri. One of Spacey’s best performances in my opinion. The storytelling by Spacey is amazing and in a way catches our attention. All the five crooks with their varied personality become memorable in their own way. Even actors with small screen time give striking performances.

Byrne remembered that they were often laughing in between takes “when they said, ‘Action!’, we’d barely be able to keep it together.” Singer (Director) and editor John Ottman used a combination of takes and kept the humor in to show the characters bonding with one another. The line-up scene in the movie was scripted as a serious scene, but the actors couldn’t keep a straight face. Benicio Del Toro kept farting during the scene and hence the actors constantly kept cracking up. Director Bryan Singer decided to use the funniest take for the lineup scene.