This police corruption thriller, based on a James Ellroy novel, drags in places and ultimately fails in its film noir genre, but it's tops in art direction and photography.
L.A. Confidential (1997)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:80
Fresh:79
Rotten:1
Average Rating:8.6/10
Consensus: Taut pacing, brilliantly dense writing and Oscar-worthy acting combine to produce a smart, popcorn-friendly thrill ride.
Runtime: 2 hrs 18 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Director Curtis Hanson captures the duality of 1950s Los Angeles in this striking film noir adaptation of James Ellroy's novel. The City of Angels might be sunny, inviting, and glamorous to the... Director Curtis Hanson captures the duality of 1950s Los Angeles in this striking film noir adaptation of James Ellroy's novel. The City of Angels might be sunny, inviting, and glamorous to the rest of the world, but it's also filled with corrupt cops, elegant hookers, murder cover-ups, and manipulative paparazzi, all of which are just the tip of the iceberg. It's impossible to know exactly who's trustworthy and who's not as three detectives (Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, and Guy Pearce) each use their own tactics to investigate a coffee-shop massacre. The script by Hanson and Brian Helgeland maintains the fragile framework of human relationships developed in the novel, while 45 different shooting locations give the film a solidly unique tone and feeling of integrity, immersing the viewer in 1950s Los Angeles. The entire cast is first-rate, with compelling performances from Spacey, Crowe, Pearce, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, Kim Basinger, and David Strathairn. [More]
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, David Strathairn
Director: Curtis Hanson
Director: Curtis Hanson
Screenwriter: Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Producer: Arnon Milchan, Michael G. Nathanson, Curtis Hanson
Composer: Jerry Goldsmith
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Reviews for L.A. Confidential
A hard-boiled cops and crime story that is at once viscerally entertaining and intellectually satisfying.
It is an intriguing whodunit, but nothing really unpredictable. Good work by Pierce and Crowe, though.
A wondrous troika of actors lends L.A. Confidential its slippery but distinctive erotic poignancy.
L.A. Confidential is the closest thing to a classic cop movie you could imagine, a throwback to a few decades ago.
It demands that the viewer pay attention, not assuming for one second that its audience may consist of dummies. That audience is rewarded with an environment oozing with atmosphere.
How good is "L.A. Confidential"? Kim Basinger gives a convincing performance - that's how good.
Pode parecer impossível, mas ainda se pode fazer um ótimo filme noir hoje em dia.
A rattling good police story and a dark, laughing tone poem to the never-innocent city of illusions.
A riveting crime story about the shadowy side of city life where things are never what they seem.
Exhilarating entertainment that sacrifices not a scrap of intelligence.
Against all odds, L.A. Confidential succeeds brilliantly, right down to Jerry Goldsmith's score, which evokes his haunting theme from Chinatown without being haunted by it.
Director Curtis Hanson's elegant film is faithful to Ellroy's multi-layered and labyrinthine book, requiring some concentration to keep up with the subtle plot twists and coded dialogue.
Its intricate plot is so nihilistic and cold around the heart, its nominal heroes so amoral, so willing to sell out anyone and everyone, that the film is as initially unnerving as it is finally irresistible.
One of the best films of the year, an excellent film noir murder mystery brimming with style and atmosphere and topped off with fine acting.
L.A. Confidential is a tour de (police) force. With characters as intricate as any you'll find on film this year, and performances that rise to the occasion.
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