One of the best movies of the 1990s, The Usual Suspects startles and surprises. A fast-paced story told by a wimpy, cripple felon Roger "Verbal" Kint presents a new take on evil, a new face of violence and murder.

"You think you can catch Keyser Soze?" asks Verbal of Special Agent Kujan. "You think a guy like that comes this close to getting caught, and sticks his head out? If he comes up for anything it'll be to get rid of me. After that... my guess is you'll never hear from him again." Of course, he also says things like "Back when I was in barbershop quartet in Skokie Illinois" and "Back when I was picking beans in Guatemala, we used to make fresh coffee, right off the trees I mean." And a really good one (grimacing and teary-eyed): "Why me? I am stupid, I am a cripple. Why me?"

Nietzsche said: "Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself."

Throwing someone off the sent, and doing this consciously or subconsciously, is nothing new. Things are not always how they appear or how they sound. Agent Kujan has preconceived notions about Keaton, about Verbal, and about himself. Because of these, he cannot see clearly. He also has his back turned to the bulletin board until the very end of the film.

Great script, great acting, great movie.

Michael

This is political doctrine in the form of a novel. Unsurprisingly, characters are psychologically flat. Everything is way too simple for the author, the people, the values, the economy. If you are a devoted Libertarian and like to indulge in the warm, fuzzy feeling that this young person's philosophy (gun-ho simplistic and optimistic), you will like Atlas Shrugged. Otherwise, you will find it difficult to deal with all the ideology that this book really is. I give this books two shrugs.

I was planning to write a review on this for a couple of months, but the reviewer from Chicago really stole my thunder. Indeed, there is too much emphasis on 9/11, the proximity of the event being so close to the production time of this film. It gives some glimpse into the inner workings and the physical structure of the Pentagon, though as the previous reviewer pointed out classified areas underground are off limits, and the analysis is really lacking. Instead of analyzing the Pentagon in a broader political context, the film wraps it in the flag, but this was somewhat inevitable given the events of Sept. 11th. The Pentagon directly employs hundreds of thousands of people, only the Post office employs more -- almost a million workers now. And the Pentagon is responsible for indirectly employing millions of others as defense contractors and subcontractors. It is the nerve center of the military - industrial complex and a bastion of America's defense against enemies, whose number seemed to have increased since the end of the Cold War.

I am hopeful, however, that just as with the Cold War, the Pentagon will be instrumental in getting us successfully past our current hurdles.

I grew up during the Cold War -- in the Soviet Union and immigrated to the U.S. in the 1980s, so this movie for me has a whole different context. I like the premise: take two unsuspecting Americans to Russia and tell them they are in Nebraska. Quite a dig at Nebraska, wouldn't you say? And the 80's hair styles, are they not totally ridiculous?

This movie has wit and humor, although it may not be quite the laugh out loud movie that one may first expect. Still I highly recommend it. Preston is very sexy, especially with her dance moves. And the Russians are portrayed as cute and simplistically noble in this film. The Cold War is over, but the movie is still entertaining.

Anything Barry Levinson touches turns into gold, you might say he's got the Midas touch... With the cast that includes Billy Bob Thornton and Bruce Willis, this was almost destined to be a great film. Neither Thornton, nor Willis are known for their comedy, but this movie is funny. Although it is usually billed as comedy/drama, it actually overlaps several genre: comedy, action, adventure, drama, and suspense.

Thornton and Willis are escaped convicts who go on a spree, robbing banks left and right by taking the bank manager hostage the night before robbery and then using his key to access the vault the next morning, before anyone else has a chance to get to the bank. Their road-trip is facilitated by a series of car jackings, during one of which Thornton's character, Terry, picks up a bored, unappreciated housewife, Kate, who becomes a partner in crime.

A romance soon develops. First, between Joe (played by Willis) and Kate and later between Terry and Kate. This strange love triangle is made even stranger by the sporadic presence of a stunt man who helps Joe and Terry with their robberies.

Billy Bob is in one of his best roles here, portraying an intelligent, witty, hypochondriacal and neurotic criminal who is the "brains" behind the bandits' robberies. Willis also turns in a good performance, and so does the supporting cast.

This is not a laugh out loud movie, but it is witty and entertaining, and I did root for the bandits, especially in the very end as their lives were in the balance and seemed about to end. Although the experience portrayed in the movie is a bit farcical, I definitely recommend this as a witty and entertaining movie.

Hilarious and fast-paced, this is a great movie, with a somewhat predictable but good ending. It has all the elements of a good comedy: exaggeration, misunderstanding, and unexpected turn of events. This is fantastic entrainment with an outstanding cast. And the movie explores deep social issues: loss of job, jealousy, greed, mob violence, integrity, and ... Nah, it does not do any of that. But it's great entertainment all the same!! See it immediately on DVD, VHS, HBO, or wherever else it is shown. Do it now.

I like this movie. I don't care much about what the critics said about it, nor about its failure to top box office records. I found this movie a psychologically intense drama, and I think acting was very good. Ford portrayed a clearly distraught and somewhat depressed and distracted man who lost his wife in plane crush, and who find out that his wife was cheating on him. He comes in contact with another "survivor," a Congresswoman who lost her husband in the same plane crush. A somewhat unlikely romance develops, while Ford's character continues to be haunted by his wife's betrayal. The subplot, involving a corrupt cop and murder, could be improved--it almost gets in the way of the main storyline. But if you can get beyond this, you will enjoy the movie.

If you are into non-stop action, special effects pictures, this one is not for you. But if you can enjoy a mature film with a real plot, you will do well to see "Random Hearts."

The book is about much more than Bush and what the author calls "Southern Takeover of American Politics." It allows one to better understand American's cultural history, especially that of the South.

Lind is by no means an ultra-liberal trying to discredit Bush. On the contrary, some of his sternest criticism is reserved is reserved for extremist liberals and environmentalists with their rigid notions of race, ethnicity, and "green" politics that hurt ordinary Americans.

The books is a valuable addition to a library of anyone trying to understand the politics of America, the most wonderful country in the world.

Is this movie trying to implying that it's bad to be a greedy, maniacal corporate leader without conscience or empathy? C'mon, get outta here. They could not possibly think THAT up in Hollywood, could they? Well, Mr. Destiny, played by Michael Caine, offers James Belushi a chance to be a wealthy corporate hot shot instead of a regular James. As you can imagine, it does not work our well for James. You know, self-loathing, John Lovitz (a friend) almost commits suicide--the usual stuff. The movie has funny moments, and the pace is pretty good. The ending is somewhat predictable, James is happy to be a regular James (again). It's not all about the money. I don't blame him, I wouldn't wanna be a Kenneth Lay either.

Have you ever seen Frank Sinatra kicking a Korean man and shouting: What was Raymond doing with his hands? No? Well, here is your chance. Quite seriously though, this is one of the better movies out there. It turns out Raymond was brainwashed into becoming an unconscionable killing machine, and his hand movements were imitating a game of solitaire--the trigger for thoughtless actions, including the taking of human life.

The movie is a dark political satire that exposes politics as a game in which the lust for power is the dominant motive. Angela Lansbury is here in one of her best roles as a traitorous witch behind a bluffing, blustering, Joseph McCarthy-ite Senator. This is also one of Sinatra's better roles, as he displays quite a range of acting: from depressed aloofness to irrepressible violence. The movie has real characters, even though there was a danger it would end up with stick figures and straw men. But no, everything is done superbly, including the McCarthy-ite thug of the Senate and the liberal senator with a milk cartons. Even the Russian operative from the Pavlov Institute in Moscow is a real character.... "always with a touch of humor."