 Director Curtis Hanson and a terrific cast serve up a "thrilling tale of police corruption and Hollywood glamour" (Marshall Fine, Gannett Newspapers) in this film of James Ellroy's novel. Three cops (Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce), a call girl (Kim Basinger), a mysterious millionaire (David Strathairn), a tabloid journalist (Danny DeVito) and the Chief of Detectives (James Cromwell) fuel a plot rife with mystery, ambition, romance and humor. The film captured 1997 Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actress (Basinger) and Best Adapted Screenplay (Brian Helgeland and Curtis Hanson). 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. Written by Greg Bole Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Kenneth Brown on June 29, 2009 -- While teenage girls began to weep when Titanic's Jack Dawson slid beneath the icy waves, I began to weep when it was declared Best Picture at the 70th Academy Awards, handily leaving four more satisfying films -- As Good As It Gets, The Full Monty, Good Will Hunting and, of course, director Curtis Hanson's pulpy tale of cops, corruption, and celebrity, L.A. Confidential -- gasping for air in its wake. Now I don't claim to understand what goes through an Academy voter's head when making their final selection, and I don't like to definitively declare one Oscar-nominated film's value over another, but, in this case, I have to cry foul. Everything about Hanson's golden era Hollywood epic, from its searing screenplay to its pitch-perfect performances to its sweltering cinematography, makes Titanic look superficial and inadequate. As a sprawling ensemble piece, it's a masterwork; as a tri-pronged character study, it's a stunning achievement; as a period film, it's a mesmerizing glimpse into the dark depths of a seemingly idyllic decade. Make no mistake, L.A. Confidential is one of the finest films of all time. Based on author James Ellroy's densely plotted novel of the same name, L.A. Confidential follows the mingling investigations of three LAPD officers -- Bud White (Russell Crowe), a hot-tempered block of muscle loyal to his smooth-talking superiors; Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce), a self-assured upstart whose strict adherence to procedure invites the barbed scorn of his colleagues; and Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), a smarmy detective moonlighting as a consultant for a hit television show -- who begin to suspect a multiple-murder at the Nite Owl coffee shop may be connected to corruption in the department, a pornography racket, a prostitution ring, and other various illegal activities. While Vincennes initially resists digging into the matter and Whites seems oblivious to the interconnectivity of it all, Exley forges ahead, exposing wrong-doing in the department, taking the lead on key interrogations, and deftly closing the Nite Owl case. Or so he thinks. Before long, Exley uncovers more evidence that suggests the murders may not have been so cut and dry. And that's just the central storyline. Danny DeVito plays a fast-talking, Hollywood tabloid reporter named Sid Hudgens who pays Vincennes to orchestrate celebrity arrests. Kim Basinger earned a supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of a soft-skinned prostitute who gets involved with White and Exley. James Cromwell delivers a deliciously devilish turn as a police captain who may or may not be on the side of the angels. David Strathairn disappears behind the slick-mustached threats of Pierce Patchett, a high-dollar pimp who has his girls surgically altered to resemble famous starlets. And character actor Ron Rifkin steps into the shifty shoes of a sanctimonious District Attorney who knows far more than he claims, sneering down the bridge of his self-serving nose one moment and squealing for his life the next. By the time the credits roll, blood has been spilled, coffins have been filled (with the most unexpected residents), and everyone who has survived is left with little choice but to continue doing so. Despite an endless assortment of characters and subplots, Brian Helgeland's screenplay is so flawlessly crafted, so precise in its every plot development and line of dialogue, that it's easy to forget how complex the story actually is. Vincennes, White, and Exley's encounters never feel scripted or contrived; their distaste for one another is palpable and their hesitance to trust one another is convincing. In reality, they're all good cops... all good men struggling to navigate a department packed with thieves and killers. To that end, Spacey, Crowe, and Pearce balance slow-boiling rage with investigative prowess, effortlessly transcending their roles as written to fully inhabit their officers of the law. Each actor is forced to face his character's demons -- apathy, volatility, and arrogance, respectively -- and each one exudes varying degrees of weakness and fear anytime their conviction or commitment is called into question. Granted, both Helgeland and the actors take extreme liberties with Ellroy's original novel, but as far as I'm concerned, it's to the benefit of the film. While Ellroy often expunges ethos in favor of exposition and atmosphere, Helgeland and the actors tend to revel in the subtleties of their characters, pulling back the curtain of each man's soul and exploring the dank underworld just beneath the surface. It helps that Hanson and director of photography Dante Spinotti rarely toil in the genre conventions of yesteryear, creating a more realistic rendition of 1950s Los Angeles than lesser filmmakers might have offered. Don't get me wrong, they still rely on heavy shadows and soft light to capture the spirit of the age, but they spend little time reproducing the look and feel of traditional crime noir, aiming for period authenticity instead. The camera doesn't follow the actors through a set, it proceeds their arrival, anticipating their thoughts and reactions before they have them. The effect, combined with Spacey, Crowe, and Pearce's performances, is so potent that you can practically read each character's mind, piecing together information and discovering answers as if you were personally involved in the investigation. Gut punches land with legitimate impact, revelations are a shock to the system, and twists and turns are as devastating as they are justifiable. More to the point, the film doesn't feel like a film. In spite of the narration, the rat-a-tat-tat dialogue, and the chess-like arrangement of the characters, L.A. Confidential is all too believable. As it stands, I wouldn't blame anyone for thinking it was based on a true story. After watching it for the first time, I had to hit the internet to find out how much of Ellroy's tale was pulled from actual events. Reviewing a film I adore is always more difficult than eviscerating a film I hate. The words that materialize on my screen never seem to do justice to the material at hand, and I'm often left with the nagging feeling that I've failed to successfully express everything that makes an ensemble period piece like this one such a timeless classic. In short, nothing I've written could possibly convey the genius, excellence, and sheer grandeur of Hanson and Helgeland's Oscar-nominated masterpiece. If you've never had the opportunity to dig through this engrossing Academy standout, be sure to track down a copy and devote an evening to traversing the streets of L.A. Confidential. It's well worth your time. There's little more I can say about L.A. Confidential without slipping into superfluous praise. Suffice to say, it should have taken home the 1997 Best Picture statue. No contest. To my relief, Warner's Blu-ray edition is one of the better catalog discs I've reviewed. It sports an exceedingly faithful video transfer, a powerful TrueHD audio track, and a healthy collection of supplemental materials. If you've never seen L.A. Confidential, don't waste any more time... head for Amazon immediately. If you've been waiting for our review to pick up its Blu-ray debut, you should already be dashing for your shopping cart. You won't be disappointed. Cast Notes: 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). User Comment: Giuseppe Giuseppe from Anaheim, CA, 11 January 2000 • 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. Summary: Everything in this film is fantastic.
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