The Usual Suspects (1995)
Another week, another movie! It's time to go back and examine a movie that I was too young to remember its release, The Usual Suspects. A common quality that has been exhibited in all of the MotW (Movies of the Week) so far has been pitch-perfect casting. The Usual Suspects doesn't break this trend. Pollack, Baldwin, and Byrne all give the performance of their lifetime and Spacey is absolutely phenomenal in one of the best roles of the 1990s. The Usual Suspects is full of drama, intrigue, and action and will leave you thinking about its ending weeks after viewing it. Enjoy!
And remember, after you've had your mind blown, come back and discuss it.
In General, do you think that a film that relies heavily on a major twist like 'The Usual Suspects' is not as enjoyable or effective after the first viewing? Do you agree that the effectiveness of 'The Usual Suspects' can be largely contributed to its major plot change? If so, what was your opinion of it after a second viewing compared to your first?
ReplyDeleteI have only watched 'The Usual Suspect' once but after that first viewing I felt that if I were to watch it a second time I would not enjoy it as much because the twist ending was unexpected and really grabbed my attention. There is a strong possibility that I could be wrong so I will be watching it a second time as soon as I get the chance. The reason I come to this conclusion is due to more recent films such as 'The Book of Eli' and 'The Prestige' where a major a plot turn or revelation played so well but in following viewings it was expected and effected my enjoyment of the film as a whole.
So if we are speaking generally, I think most films with a major twist at the end aren't as strong on the second viewing. Usually, if a film is a B+ level enjoyment (not quality) without prior knowledge of the ending, it's a B/B- the second time around. With that said, The Usual Suspects was even better for me the second time.
ReplyDeleteVerbal's (Spacey) story was so masterfully layered that it almost begs for a second viewing just to get it all straight. But I don't feel like the overall success of the movie can be attributed to the finale. Imagine that the twist didn't even occur, it's still an impressive movie. The action and the back story, even without the without knowledge of who's pulling the strings, is enough for me. But it's the twist that pushes it to the next level and it still amazes me that he could play everyone so beautifully.
I feel the same way about The Prestige Yeah, the first viewing is amazing and I'll never get that feeling again, but the story is still rich and captivating.