"THE USUAL SUSPECTS," the second film for director Bryan Singer following his auspicious debut at the Sundance Film Festival, is the taut, complex story of five master thieves who are thrown together in a police line-up and plan a heist which not only nets them $3 million in jewels but also exposes nearly 50 dirty New York cops in the process.

Their getaway takes them to Los Angeles where, after fencing the gems, they are hired for another job. This time things don't go so well and three men are killed -- an outcome which leaves them obliged to a notorious crime lord who uses them to try to stop a $91 million drug deal in the San Pedro harbor.

Kint is the film's most visible character, simply because he is the only criminal alive at the beginning of the film. He is interrogated by Dave Kujan concerning what happened at the dock, and although he has no legal reason to cooperate, as he has been granted full immunity, he enters into a give-and-take dialogue with Kujan that is central to the movie. "Verbal", as his name suggests, is a gifted speaker; this also hints to his criminal profession: con man. He comes up with a plan for the original heist so that there is no killing involved. Because he was in prison with Keaton for a short time, the men won't let him participate in the heist unless Keaton does as well, to make sure he is trustworthy. Kint eventually convinces Keaton to help out, and the two share an unspoken bond throughout the film.

Todd Hocknay is an expert with explosives, and the most hotheaded of the five criminals. He is generally very suspicious toward his partners; one instance of this is in his attitude toward McManus when it is revealed that their fence lives in California. His role in the crimes is usually a minor one, and not much is revealed about him during the film.

Fred Fenster is probably the least fleshed out of the five criminals. He is in the group because of his association with Michael McManus: they have been partners for four years. His only distinctive characteristics are his flashy dressing style and his almost unintelligible speech. He does provide some humor to the movie, especially when he tells his interrogators "Flip you for real."

Dean Keaton is the most reluctant of the five criminals. He has good reason to be so; he is trying to become a "respectable" businessman, apparently in the restaurant business. Edie Finneran is both his lawyer and his love interest, all the more reason to clean up his act. Dave Kujan won't let him forget who he once was, however. In an attempt to start fresh, Keaton had attempted to fake his own death, which worked for three months or so, but eventually Kujan caught up with him, making him more determined than ever to nail Keaton. Eventually, Keaton realizes that he can never escape his past.

Michael McManus's role in the gang is that of entry man. He takes his work very seriously, and doesn't mind killing if it will get the job done. Fred Fenster has been his partner for the prior four years. McManus is generally antagonistic with Keaton, but the two become more compatible as the story progresses. It is McManus's affiliation with the fence Redfoot that eventually brings the criminals to California, where things begin to get interesting.

Kujan is the most visible non-ex-con character in the film. He is, in fact, a U.S. Customs Agent who has been tracking Dean Keaton for the past three years. When he hears that Keaton is dead, he immediately heads to L.A. to check out the situation. Keaton faked his death once before, and this leaves Kujan fairly skeptical about Keaton's recent demise. In L.A., Kujan meets "Verbal" Kint, the sole survivor of the boat explosion who can help piece together the puzzle. Kujan interrogates Kint, and this sets the stage for the rest of the movie.

Finneran is both a high-priced attorney and Dean Keaton's girlfriend. She is seen in the movie involved on two cases only. One is Keaton's running battle with the law and Dave Kujan in particular. She is also brought in to work on an extradition case by Kobayashi, who coerces Keaton into working for Keyser Soze by threatening Finneran's safety. All of this happens without her knowledge. She is seen as a loving woman who truly cares about Keaton, one of the more sympathetic characters in the film.

One of the most mysterious characters in the film, Kobayashi is the unquestioning attorney of Keyser Soze. He is always cool under pressure, and even when both of his bodyguards are murdered, he remains unshaken. Kobayashi represents the futility of fighting Keyser Soze; he makes sure the criminals know that Soze is unrelentingly vengeful, even toward himself.

Rabin is seen throughout the movie as basically a hardened cop who remains unmoved by most of the goings-on. He is not seen much, due mostly to the fact that his office is commandeered by Kujan to conduct the interrogation of Kint. Rabin primary role is to fetch coffee or listen at the tape player that records Kint's story.

The least visible of the main characters, Baer is around mostly during the interrogation of both the Hungarian gangster and for some of Kint's interrogation. He informs Kujan about the involvement of Keyser Soze. He also is on the scene of the explosion the morning after it happens.