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Five criminals unexpectedly and rather unceremoniously brought together for a police line-up plot their revenge against the cops but eventually get tied up in a much more complicated scheme to obtain 91 million dollars cash for stopping a drug deal on behalf of a mysterious and ruthless criminal mastermind known only as "Keyser Soze". Many believe "Keyser Soze" doesn't really exist, that he's a boogeyman myth dreamt up to scare criminals but this devil's greatest power may in fact in people not really believing he exists.

This character driven, extremely well-written film had me glued to the screen. It definitely got me and got me good and I love that it did. This is one time I agree with the Academy Awards: Christopher McQuarrie definitely deserved to win Best Screenplay. It's not often one sees such a talented group of character actors in one film, especially not in films from the 1990s, but the cast here delivers the goods and then some. These characters are fleshed out and feel like real living breathing individuals, criminals yes but people we are made to empathize with thanks to the masterful direction of Bryan Singer. And what a cast: Gabriel Byrne as world weary Dean Keaton steals the show for me being a believable bad-a$s who deep down really just wants to go straight or does he?! Also top notch in his Oscar winning supporting role as "small time" hoodlum Verbal Kint is Kevin Spacey. Spacey proves thoroughly believable as a man suffering from cerebral palsy who nevertheless manages to maintain one step ahead of the cops. As if that wasn't enough, this also features terrific character performances from Kevin Pollak in perhaps his best dramatic role, Chazz Palminteri as a cop determined to get his answers and at least prove himself smarter than the crooks he's looking to uncover, Stephen Baldwin in what is arguably his best role to date, and finally Benicio Del Toro who manages to breathe life into his character and give it an identity all its own even though his role is somewhat short. Great character ensemble piece. Terrific storytelling. Fine direction. I wish all movies were this good. Only shortcoming was the cursing seemed a bit overdone perhaps but that's a minor quibble at best. ***** out *****

I've never understood the appeal of this movie.  I didn't even watch it all; I skipped out for a while after the "struggle with those two guys and hold them up just right so I can shoot them with two guns" bit.  I came back to see the "twist" at the end.  Then again, crime movies aren't really my thing.  I'm also extremely opposed to Stephen Baldwin.  He sucks.

The twist wasn't much of a twist, either.  When my parents rented this movie, and the characters started talking about Keyser Soze, Dad pointed at Kevin Spacey and said, "He's Keyser Soze."

"What makes you think that, Dad?"

"Because he's the one who's still alive and making up this story.  At the end, he'll be walking away from the police station and stop limping.  That's how we'll know."

"Are you sure?"

"They've been using that same twist in movies since I was younger than you."

You did a good job of explaining why you liked it, though.  Karma for not just repeating the same old "WOW!  What a twist!  This movie rocks!!!!1!!1" review I've always seen for this movie.

We're so sick of "movies with a twist at the end" these days that now it's easy to find out the "trick" on this one, but it's still a damn great movie. Uneven, yes, but great nevertheless. It's a pity neither Bryan Singer nor Christopher McQuarrie have tried to do anything remotely similar again.

I'd guess this film was more of a success on rental than in theatres, making his win even more remarkable.  I can understand akiratubo's remarks, as I certainly was one of this film's detractors, but I did enjoy it the first time I watched it, and don't understand commenting upon a film one has not looked at...   :twirl: