L.A. Confidential

L.A. Confidential is, without a doubt, the best film of the 1990s, and quite possibly one of the best films ever made.

As with any great film, it all starts with the writing. The story is riveting, the dialogue is smart and quite funny, and the characters are written in three dimensions.

The acting is phenomenal. Perhaps a bigger tragedy than L.A. Confidential's loss to Titanic in the Best Picture race is that none of the three lead actors even garnered nominations. Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey are absolutely phenomenal; it is their characters that drive this fascinating story about police corruption in 1950s Los Angeles. We get to know these people, to understand who they are and why they do what they do, and to root for them to overcome their imperfections.

The directing is fantastic. Curtis Hanson doesn't shove anything in the audience's face; instead, he allows the audience to discover the film's nuances on their own. (That makes this an excellent film for repeat viewings, you truly catch something new every time). 1950s Los Angeles is reproduced beautifully. The editing is quick and seamless, the music is perfect for the film (Hanson should teach other directors how to do a montage effectively), and the cinematography is great.

I can't find a negative thing to say about this film. It's truly a masterpiece.

One of the greatest films ever made, L.A. Confidential benefits from a great script (Brian Helgeland), great performances (Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, David Straithairn), and great direction (Curtis Hanson). It's not easy to do a film noir in modern times that is set it in the past. All too often, the performances are too stylized or nonorganic, the direction is stilted -- the whole thing comes off as an attempt, and not a very good one. In this case, though, the result is brilliant.

Basically, L.A. Confidential is the story of three very different kinds of police officers who become involved in the same case, the Night Owl Murders. There's Russell Crowe as Bud White, the loose cannon, a strong but vulnerable cop; Guy Pearce as Exley, the political, honest, by the book cop who incurs everyone's wrath; and Kevin Spacey as Jack Vincennes, the celebrity detective who is a consultant on a Dragnet-type TV show, Badge of Honor. He works hand in hand with a writer for Hush magazine (Danny DeVito). But they're not the only ones embroiled in the Night Owl diner slaughter. There's Dudley Smith (James Cromwell), the Chief of Police, Ellis Loew (Ron Rifkin), the bisexual D.A., the wealthy, powerful Pierce Patchett (David Straithairn); and Lynn, the Veronica Lake-lookalike call girl (Kim Basinger). And Rollo Tomassi, of course - an important name in the investigation.

It's hard to single out any one performance. The film is perfectly cast. The three officers - Spacey, Crowe, and Pearce - are as brilliant as the characters they play are different. And everyone else in the cast is fantastic as well.

Historically, there are some things that are not correct as far as Hollywood - The Bad and the Beautiful and Roman Holiday did not run at the same time; and the duo of Johnny Stompanato and Lana Turner came later. However, two elements of the film are based on reality or at least rumors - there was supposedly a call girl ring where the women looked like famous film stars; and "Hush" magazine, the cover anyway, looks like "Whisper" magazine from that era.

L.A. Confidential is a story of twists, turns, and camaraderie that take place on the mean streets of '50s L.A., a story that winds up changing the lives of everyone involved. Filled with atmosphere and suspense, it's a not to be missed, violent, vivid portrait of a time when things at LAPD were (and still might be today) off the record, on the q.t. -- and very hush-hush.

"L.A. Confidential" is brilliant. The screenplay and direction are second-to-none. The performances by the ensemble cast are also superb. Kim Basinger stands out the most with her Oscar-winning role. Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, and Danny DeVito all have their moments as well. The film deals with the seamy side of Los Angeles in the post-World War II 1950s. Los Angeles is a place of shady dealings and police corruption. To add to those problems is the creation of the smutty tabloid. Multi-layered and smart, "L.A. Confidential" will be the greatest survivor of the films released in 1997. 5 out of 5 stars.

What happens when a squad of corrupt cops in the 1950s explore a murder case from multiple angles and find their corruption coming back on them like chickens coming home to roost? Who will solve the crime? Who will survive and what will be left of them?

This movie is phenomenal. The only reason I didn't give it 10 out of 10 is because I didn't care for the ending (which I won't reveal). It's a world were Hollywood and law enforcement cross over and even the hookers want to be movie stars.

I have not read the Ellroy novels, but I have been told they are even more intricate than this film with a lot more backstory. I would watch a five or six hour version of this film. But even so, that is the strong point of this film: multiple stories that begin to overlap. Sure, others (Tarantino) have tried this, but I think this is the most expertly done conception I've seen yet.

Kevin Spacey's part as a Hollywood obsessed cop is beautiful and he fits the part to a tee. His role is supposed to be similar to Dean Martin and I can see that; Spacey again harnessed this kind of character when he made "Beyond the Sea". Spacey's role is the connection between the world of law and the world of fame.

Russell Crowe plays the "bad cop" who crosses the line with sheer thuggery and an attraction to a prostitute (Kim Basinger, who does a fine job being both alluring yet tasteful). His part was supposed to be for Michael Madsen (one of the greatest actors of all time for a cop/crook movie), but I think Crowe may have been the better choice. Who else can be a natural thug?

Guy Pearce... I was not sure how to take him. I have not enjoyed him ("Time Machine") and yet also loved him ("Memento"). In the beginning, I thought it would be another geeky Pearce role and I was a bit concerned. But as the film progresses, so does Pearce's character become more lovable and impressive. You'll agree.

Danny DeVito was okay and James Cromwell was insidiously delightful.

Brian Helgeland adapted this screenplay. You may know him best as the writer of "A Knight's Tale" and "The Order". The Order was crappy. But A Knight's Tale is fantastic. This, by far, will go down as his crowning achievement. He may as well call up Michael Bay and go retire in the South Seas where they'll never be found.

Simply put, this is the best film I've seen in at least a month (and I watch at least a movie a day). Maybe the best film I've seen all year. Don't set this movie aside, you need to put this on the top of your honeydew list.

L.A. Confidential most likely falls into the category of one of the best movies of the past twenty years. The complex story line seemed to burst at the seams with intelligence. I found the complexity of several different sub-plots working together challenged the intellectual part of my brain while the intense action through out the entire movie satisfied the craving of the not-so-intellectual part of my brain that enjoys seeing a good brawl followed by a good shoot-out. Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson did and excellent job of combining many elements of several different kinds of films into one. They seem to have made this movie with several different audiences in mind. I for one, as I have mentioned, enjoyed the intellectual aspect as well as the action, while my wife enjoyed the combination of a love story with drama. It really has something for everyone. Bringing together all of these elements into one film sets it apart from many others. Of course the best aspect of L.A. Confidential is the way that not everything is as it seems, and then, in an instant, all of the plots are sprung like a trap and come together for a grand finale. Overall L.A. Confidential is an exceptional film that contains something for everyone.