L.A. Confidential (1997)

Genres

Crime, Mystery, Thriller

Director

Curtis Hanson

Country

USA

Cast

Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, David Strathairn, Ron Rifkin, Graham Beckel, Amber Smith, John Mahon, Paul Guilfoyle, Matt McCoy, Paolo Seganti, Simon Baker, Tomas Arana, Shawnee Free Jones, Darrell Sandeen, Marisol Padilla Sanchez, Gwenda Deacon, Jim Metzler, Brenda Bakke

Storyline

As corruption grows in 1950s Los Angeles, three very different cops - the golden boy (Guy Pearce) of the police force, a brutal cop (Russell Crower) and a celebrity detective (Kevin Spacey) - investigate a series of murders to find the truth behind the world of L.A. crime.

Opinion

Been on my watchlist forever because of Kevin Spacey, I finally watched L.A. Confidential. And I should have been disappointed because there wasn't a lot of Spacey, but I guess I can't be mad at a great film, can I? After all, I loved every second of it.

The film features a compelling, fascinating story about corruption with many interesting twists and so complex that requires you to follow it carefully so that you won't miss anything. Because as the story progresses and new twists are revealed, the mystery doesn't get solved, but it deepens even more. There are also several different and equally complex sub-plots that work beautifully together. There's even a love story, and it doesn't feel out of place. This is exactly how I like my crime stories.

In addition to the interesting story, there are also some very interesting and well-developed characters that are believable and a real pleasure to watch, especially Guy Pearce's Ed Exley, a young cop with a strong sense of justice and Russell Crowe's Bud White, a hothead detective aka the typical film noir anti-hero. Pearce and Crowe's performances only make the characters even more compelling. Kevin Spacey also gives one hell of a performance as Jack Vincennes, a cynical detective looking for the spotlight. The supporting cast as well does a wonderful job by delivering complex supporting characters.

Then there is the dialogue. It's simply brilliant. It will make you laugh, it will scare you and it will inspire you but the greatest thing it does, in my opinion, is contributing to character development. Exley, White and Vincennes really grow as men as the film progresses and it's not delivered only through the performances of those three phenomenal actors, but through the dialogue as well.

Also, the photography is wonderful and the score fits the film to perfection. And if you are a shootouts junkie, well, this film has enough to satisfy your cravings.