All of the characters are finely detailed and fascinating. Crowe and Pearce give exceptionally good performances. Their vibrant portrayals bring immediacy to their characters and actions.
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
Kudos to director Curtis Hanson and co-screenwriter Brian Helgeland for whipping James Ellroy's seminal novel of 1950s Los Angeles police corruption and noir sexuality into recognizable shape for this distinguished film adaptation.
Objectively this film probably ranks with Chinatown and The Maltese Falcon.
L.A. Confidential follows idealistic young policeman Ed Exley (Pearce) as a multiple homicide he is investigating turns into something much more insidious
Hanson cast two actors from Down Under, Crowe and Pearce, in the lead roles of Bud White and Ed Exley, respectively. This decision works wonders for the film; if it had had big name stars in the lead, the viewer would most possibly be distracted by this.
Hollywood moviemaking at its finest--a classy piece of entertainment made with equal parts passion, style, and fun.
Try to imagine this: a mainstream American movie, rife with violent and often murderous behavior, yet so densely plotted, so richly peopled, that you can't summarize it in a sentence.
Brilliant, complex, cinematic noir-inspired cop drama L.A. Confidential an instant classic.
There's something of The Big Sleep in director Curtis Hanson's unfashionably pre-postmodern tour de force of early-'50s atmosphere, tight plotting, snappy dialogue, and sharply edited action--you know, all those quaint virtues from the old noirs.
L.A. Confidential is immersed in the atmosphere and lore of film noir, but it doesn't seem like a period picture--it believes its noir values and isn't just using them for decoration.
Pearce, Crowe and Spacey do solid work with solid characters. They're never boring, and never fascinating.
There are no surprises about who dies, but the ingenuity of the good cops and the director's perfect timing combine to produce the best scene in the movie.
It's a film that has substance and sweep to match its high sense of style.
There wasn't a moment where I wasn't amazed, bowled over by its greatness. This film just shows that one can still do noir and make it non-Tarantino-esque.
Brilliant, bold entertainment with complex characters that burn into the psyche. The most satisfying film of the year.
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