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Movies / On DVD / L.A. Confidential
L.A. Confidential

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L.A. Confidential (1997)

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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

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Apr 14, 1998

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Reviews for L.A. Confidential

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61 - 80 (sorted by date)
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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.

Full Review Source: Cinematter | comment Comment
01/01/00
Madeleine Williams
Madeleine Williams
Cinematter

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.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Marc Savlov
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle

Objectively this film probably ranks with Chinatown and The Maltese Falcon.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mark R. Leeper
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews

this movie is such a satisfying whole

Full Review Source: Movie Habit | comment Comment
01/01/00
Marty Mapes
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit

L.A. Confidential follows idealistic young policeman Ed Exley (Pearce) as a multiple homicide he is investigating turns into something much more insidious

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
01/01/00
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

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.

Full Review Source: Matt's Movie Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Matt Easterbrook
Matt Easterbrook
Matt's Movie Reviews

Hollywood moviemaking at its finest--a classy piece of entertainment made with equal parts passion, style, and fun.

Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | comment Comment
01/01/00
Michael Dequina
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com

This is about one of the best crime dramas in years.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Admiration will likely extend for years to come.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Every scene in the movie is good.

Full Review Source: Aisle Seat | comment Comment
01/01/00
Mike McGranaghan
Mike McGranaghan
Aisle Seat

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.

Full Review Source: TIME Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Richard Schickel
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Brilliant, complex, cinematic noir-inspired cop drama L.A. Confidential an instant classic.

Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Blackwelder
Rob Blackwelder
SPLICEDWire

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.

Full Review Source: City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul | comment Comment
01/01/00
Rob Nelson
Rob Nelson
City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul

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.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
01/01/00
Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Pearce, Crowe and Spacey do solid work with solid characters. They're never boring, and never fascinating.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Scott Renshaw
Scott Renshaw
rec.arts.movies.reviews

L.A. Confidential walks on the dark side, enticingly daring us to follow.

comment Comment
01/01/00
Sean Means
Sean Means
Film.com
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: Internet Reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Steve Rhodes
Steve Rhodes
Internet Reviews

It's a film that has substance and sweep to match its high sense of style.

Full Review Source: Detroit News | comment Comment
01/01/00
Susan Stark
Susan Stark
Detroit News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

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.

Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
01/01/00
Ted Prigge
Ted Prigge
rec.arts.movies.reviews

Brilliant, bold entertainment with complex characters that burn into the psyche. The most satisfying film of the year.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
01/01/00
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
 
 
61 - 80 (sorted by date)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
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