L.A. Confidential

Six years ago, a director by the name of Curtis Hansen came out with a small time film named L.A. Confidential. Though the movie garnered several big nominations at the 1997 Academy Awards, the nation had been swept up by the gigantic and romantic blockbuster, Titanic, thus shrinking the chances of this brilliant movie from garnering any real awards. 1997 completely screwed this phenomenal film, in which three brilliant actors gave the performances of their careers.

Russell Crowe plays Detective Bud White, a tough L.A. cop who bends the rules in order to bring justice to the city. He is ruthless, and unforgiving of anyone, which brings him into direct conflict with Detective Lieutenant Ed Exley, played by Guy Pearce. Russell Crowe became with this role a full pledged character actor,: the cop with a steel physique, and a vulnerable heart. He becomes so believable and real to the audience, you can not help but sympathize for his character under the circumstances. From this role, Crowe went on to garner three best actor nominations, winning for his role in Gladiator.

Guy Pearce, the little known Australian body builder, became the character known as Ed Exley, a straight, uptight detective trying to live up to the legend his father created before him. Exley has so much to prove to the LAPD, trying to show them that he is just as good, maybe even better, than his father. He plays the politics in a corrupted police department very well, and is able to use these skills in solving the corrupt and mysterious case of the Night Owl murders. This film officially put Guy Pearce in the big leagues of film, making his next appearances in Memento and The Count of Monte Cristo. He is a severely underrated actor who deserves better than what he has been getting.

Finally, the ever wonderful Kevin Spacey. Spacey plays Lieutenant Jack Vincenes, a cop who gives a popular LA police show, Badge of Honor, real solved cases in return for money. Jack sees his life as an ever going soap opera, until he comes across a case that somehow has a connection to the Night Owl murders. Kevin Spacey has proved time and again his abilities as an actor, and he continues with this performance.

Curtis Hansen does a wonderful job bringing this story to the big screen. His talents, although recognized, have not been awarded as of yet. I can only hope that someday, someone will give this amazing director something worthy of his talents.

Highly Recommended.

MJR

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.

In the gritty LA of the 1950's, stardom is the boom industry and all is about appearance and visual image. However under the surface drug use is rife, prostitution is rampant and the police officers are violent thugs. In the middle of this are three officers with different aims. Ed Exley is an ambitious young officer who will do anything to climb the ranks, Bud White is a muscle man and gets the job done while Jack Vincennes is only concerned with celebrity busts and getting his face in the paper. When the three come together on a coffee shop killing that brings in elements of cases they are following they solve it together. However each has suspicions that something is not right.

I'm sorry to say that I didn't pick up on this at the cinema and it wasn't until the Oscars brought it to my attention that I first saw it. Since then I have seen it several times and have enjoyed it every time. The plot is slightly complex (although maybe not by the genre's standards) and it isn't simplified for the audiences sake – it respects the audience enough to trust us to keep up with it's pace. The film is split into three strands dictated by the characters, they are not quite distinct but are mostly intertwined the whole way through – coming together in the final hour to great effect.

The pace of the telling is great; it has moments of drama, of tension and great action. Hanson has done a great job with the direction, he has a great sense of place and time to his 50's Hollywood – whether it be the stars' lives or the black suburbs – but he directs each scene with a sense of tension and urgency that the material deserves. The final twist is OK if not great but it is more the telling of the story that is enjoyable, not just the denouncement.

The casting did a great job of getting growth names and established qualities but no one huge star who could dominate the film. It is the Australian stars that stand out here. Pearce is excellent with a subtly changing character but it is Crowe that sticks in the memory with a very strong character and a performance to match. Spacey is as quality as he ever is (or at least, was for a few years either side of this film) and the support cast is as good with De Vito, Basinger, Cromwell, Rifkin, Strathairn and Guilfoyle.

There is nothing I really dislike about this film. The longer than average running time is not a problem as it easily fills it without dragging at any point. The film oozes class and has a great tough plot from Ellroy where nothing is as simple as right/wrong and everything comes together at the end. A real classy film with brains and brawn which continues to be one of my favourites of recent years.

We've not come very far since this classic in terms of high quality cop crime dramas. Acting and direction is perfection.

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.