Rating of
3.5/4
A Masterfully Spun Web of Corruption....
MovieAddict - wrote on 12/09/12
It is the early 1950s, and the L.A. police department, rampant with corruption, tackles the sleazy underbelly of the city. The film focuses on three different types of cops, the brutal Officer Russell Crowe (as aggressive hothead Wendell "Bud" White who lives to beat confessions out of suspects and to punish woman beaters), aspiring Lieutenant Guy Pearce (as Edmund "Ed" Exley) who operates "by the book" and Sergeant Kevin Spacey (as Jack Vincennes) who derives great satisfaction from being the technical adviser on a popular TV cop show called "Badge of Honor".
All three actors turn in fine performances, along with Kim Basinger, (who won an Oscar for playing a prostitute who's a Veronica Lake look-alike), veteran Captain James Cromwell (as Dudley Smith), "Hush-Hush" tabloid reporter Danny DeVito (as Sid Hudgens), and sleazy millionaire David Strathairn (as Pierce Patchett).
L.A. Confidential has captivating screenplay and cinematography with enough twists to make your grey cells burn out….it is a work of considerable substance and rare quality and surely merits recognition as an all time classic. This is hands-down my favorite detective film of the nineties.
Recent Comments
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 12/09/12 at 08:25 PM CT
L.A. Confidential Review comment
After repeat viewings, I found this to be highly enjoyable and worthy of a 4 star rating (great for repeat viewings, enticing characters, cool plot, etc.). I see the words "classic" and "favorite" still not good enough? hehehe :-)
