L.A. Confidential (1997)

As corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three policemen - one strait-laced, one brutal, and one sleazy - investigate a series of murders with their own brand of justice.

Director:

Curtis Hanson

Writers:

James Ellroy (novel), Brian Helgeland (screenplay)

Stars:

Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce

Top Rated Movies #124 | Won 2 Oscars. Another 89 wins & 85 nominations.

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

Storyline

1950's Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very different cops are all after the truth, each in their own style: Ed Exley, the golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead, except sell out; Bud White, ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes, always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime.

---

Plot Keywords:

corruption | murder | 1950s | call girl | neo noir | 

---

Taglines:

Everything is suspect...everyone is for sale...and nothing is what it seems.

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and language, and for sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

In Mickey Rooney's autobiography, he makes a passing reference about The T and M Studio, a brothel where the women were film star lookalikes.

---

Goofs

As Jack is entering the hotel room to find Matt Reynolds dead on the floor, "How Important Can It Be?" by Joni James is playing, which didn't come out until 1955. The movie is set in 1953.

---

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 ...

---

Crazy Credits

Characters from the movie were incorporated into period stock footage shown during the credits

---

Alternate Versions

In the Hong Kong television version, during the scene where Bud breaks into the interrogation room, the part where he removes all the bullets from the gun but one is removed for some reason. So it cuts straight from his coming into the room and then sticking the gun into the rapist's mouth without giving it a Russian roulette feel.

---

Connections

Referenced in The Oscars (2019)

---

Soundtracks

Look for the Silver Lining
(1920)
Music by Jerome Kern
Lyrics by Buddy G. DeSylva (as Bud DeSylva)
Performed by Chet Baker
Courtesy of Blue Note Records, a division of Capitol Records, Inc.
Under license from EMI-Capitol Music Special Markets

User Reviews

hard-hitting, smart movie

Although this movie 'flopped' at the box office at $53 million, this just may be one the smartest movies you haven't seen. With great performances from an ensemble all-star cast and a clever script, the dramatic tension of this modern film-noir classic is an absolute must-see! Told through a variation on the theme of "good cop, bad cop" with an overarching corruption angle, this film cleverly deals with issues of racism, social justice and ethics in a non-discriminatory manner. Character development is well-done and the dramatic tension is superb. If you are a fan of crime-drama and detective stories, you won't be disappointed!

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

19 September 1997 (USA)

Also Known As:

L.A. Confidential

Filming Locations:

501 Wilcox Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,211,198, 21 September 1997

Gross USA:

$64,616,940

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$126,216,940

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Regency Productions, The Wolper Organization, Warner Bros.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

138 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital DTS SDDS

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1