Pete Postlethwaite passed away earlier this week, aged 64, after a long illness. He was one of the finest character actors of his time, his craggy face and intensity bringing something worthy to even the cheesiest of films. Whether playing a stoic bandleader in Brassed Off or more recently as a fresh off the boat psycho in The Town, he was always good, always memorable. So in tribute, today's film is another one of those small roles that he made more memorable, Mr. Kobayashi in The Usual Suspects.
Directed by the then painfully hip Bryan Singer, this film was a big hit with critics and audiences upon its release. Another example of neo-noir, its a dialogue heavy for a modern film which is no bad thing and has a nice twisty plot to keep your attention. The film opens with 5 men brought in for a police line-up in New York, the usual suspects of the title. This is a great scene, largely improvised and yet manges to adequately introduce you to all of the main characters. We then flash forward to the aftermath of a shoot out on a Los Angeles pier with 27 men dead. The only remaining member of the 5 is Verbal Kint, Kevin Spacey in an Oscar winning performance and through the format of a police interrogation, Verbal outlines how they got from the line-up to the pier. Like all great thrillers, there is a twist in the tale.
Though this film has a very fine ensemble cast, the real strength of the film is the Oscar winning screenplay by Christopher McQuarrie at the heart of which is the unseen criminal mastermind Keyser Soze. Keyser is represented throughout by his lawyer, Mr Kobayashi. It's a small part but Postlethwaite imbues it with a mysteriousness that sticks with you till the end. Its that element of mystery, of leaving the audience second guessing that makes it entertaining. Halfway through, you are left with the feeling that all is not what it seems. As Vebal Kint puts it:
"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist."
The ending when it comes, is out of left field and you will either love it or hate it, but the getting there, that's the best part. For a film made in 35 days for $5.5m, this is well worth your time.
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