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L.A. Confidential (1997)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Release Date:
19 September 1997 (USA)
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Tagline:
Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush... more
Plot:
A shooting at an all night diner is investigated by three LA policemen in their own unique ways. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars.
Another 69 wins
&
43 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(71 articles)
Lambs Named Best Thriller
(From WENN. 3 June 2009, 12:00 PM, PDT)
Actor Sandeen Dies
(From WENN. 11 February 2009, 3:55 AM, PST)
(From WENN. 3 June 2009, 12:00 PM, PDT)
Actor Sandeen Dies
(From WENN. 11 February 2009, 3:55 AM, PST)
User Comments:
Everything in this film is fantastic.
more (535 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only) | Kevin Spacey | ... | Jack Vincennes |
 | Russell Crowe | ... | Bud White |
 | Guy Pearce | ... | Ed Exley |
 | James Cromwell | ... | Dudley Smith |
 | Kim Basinger | ... | Lynn Bracken |
 | Danny DeVito | ... | Sid Hudgens |
 | David Strathairn | ... | Pierce Patchett |
 | Ron Rifkin | ... | D.A. Ellis Loew |
 | Matt McCoy | ... | 'Badge of Honor' Star Brett Chase |
 | Paul Guilfoyle | ... | Mickey Cohen |
| Paolo Seganti | ... | Johnny Stompanato |
 | Elisabeth Granli | ... | Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner |
 | Sandra Taylor | ... | Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner |
| Steve Rankin | ... | Officer Arresting Mickey Cohen |
| Graham Beckel | ... | Dick Stensland |
Additional Details
MPAA:
Rated R for strong violence and language, and for sexuality.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
138 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Iceland:16 |
South Korea:18 |
USA:R (certificate #35218) |
Philippines:R-18 |
Brazil:18 |
USA:TV-MA (TV rating) |
Australia:M (TV rating) |
Argentina:16 |
Australia:MA |
Belgium:KT |
Canada:18A |
Chile:14 |
Finland:K-16 |
France:U |
Germany:16 (w) |
Hong Kong:IIB |
Netherlands:12 (original rating) |
Netherlands:16 (DVD rating) |
New Zealand:R18 |
Norway:15 |
Peru:14 |
Portugal:M/12 |
Singapore:M18 (DVD rating) |
Singapore:R(A) (original rating) |
Spain:18 |
Sweden:15 |
UK:18
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
Twice the project was pitched to television: first, producer David L. Wolper wanted to produce the project as a mini-series, and later, it was being developed as a weekly series by HBO.
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Goofs:
Incorrectly regarded as goofs: At the Victory Motel shoot out, Dudley Smith is clearly seen shooting Bud White in the right cheek after he stabs Dudley in the leg. At the end of the movie when Bud White is sitting in a vehicle saying goodbye to Ed Exley, the bandage is on his left cheek. However, Bud also has clearly visible barely closed wound on the right cheek. Exit wounds are usually more severe than entry wounds so the bandage on the left side on the face is justified, assuming that the bullet penetrated both cheeks.
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Quotes:
[first lines]
Sid Hudgens: [voiceover] Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, and the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see. There are jobs aplenty, and land is cheap. Every working man can have his own house, and inside every house, a happy, all-American family. You can have all this, and who knows... you could even be discovered, become a movie star... or at least see one. Life is good in Los Angeles... it's paradise on Earth." Ha ha ha ha. That's what they tell you, anyway.
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Sid Hudgens: [voiceover] Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, and the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see. There are jobs aplenty, and land is cheap. Every working man can have his own house, and inside every house, a happy, all-American family. You can have all this, and who knows... you could even be discovered, become a movie star... or at least see one. Life is good in Los Angeles... it's paradise on Earth." Ha ha ha ha. That's what they tell you, anyway.
more
Movie Connections:
References When Worlds Collide (1951)
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Soundtrack:
The Christmas Blues
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FAQ
Was Sid in on everything with Dudley and Patchett?How did Exley know they were talking about a hero?
Is this movie based on a book?
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more (535 total)
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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.