In a Nutshell. Mini reviews of movies old and new. No fuss. No spoilers. And often no sleep.

Wednesday 1 March 2017

The Usual Suspects (1995)

If you've not seen or been spoiled on TUS yet, do yourself a favour by not reading anything more and instead just watch it because a first viewing will give you something that cannot be repeated. Part of what separates it from its crime drama peers of the era is that it respects its audience's ability to keep up with the twists, and engages their willingness to go along for the ride.
Subsequent viewings will likely take a more analytical approach. It was during such an endeavour that I was struck by how much Dir. Singer valued both the language of film and its unique storytelling devices; his big budget films may attempt the same but often get swamped by spectacle. The flashbacks, v/o, timing and techniques used herein are modernised but familiar, a kind of revitalisation of cinematic tools that had worked their magic for decades.

4 probable causes out of 5

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