L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997) A Film Review by Ted Prigge Copyright 1997 Ted Prigge
Director: Curtis Hanson Writers: Brian Hegeland and Curtis Hanson (based on the novel by James Ellroy) Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Bassinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, David Straithairn, Graham Beckel, Ron Rifkin, Matt McCoy, Paul Guilfoyle, Amber Smith, Darrell Sandeen, Brenda Bakke
I was thinking after I saw "L.A. Confidential," and I couldn't come up with a single thing wrong with it. And I couldn't think of one scene where I wasn't totally engrossed, a character who wasn't at least a bit interesting (save the really small parts), and a performance which didn't hit the nail on the head. "L.A. Confidential," which has been getting some pretty just awards from critic circles as of late, is definitely one of the most engrossing films of the year, and also one of the best.
"L.A. Confidential" has a very complex plot, which somehow never feels overwhelming. The film follows three detectives in the LAPD back in the 50s: the wild fame-hungering Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), the hot-tempered Bud White (the awesome Russell Crowe), and the by-the-rules newcomer Ed Exley (Guy Pearce). The film paints a negative yet positive view on the LAPD, as being totally corrupt, with lots of politics, hypocrisy, but with people who really want justice to be done, even if they have to bend the truth a little.
The plot is set in motion following a little bit of police brutality on Christmas Eve, when a bunch of cops, drunk on the spiked egg nog, beat some mexicans up. Exley, the nightwatchman for the night, testifies, and is immeadiately made a lieutenant detective, much to the dismay of everyone on the force. Afterwards, Bud's ex-partner, Dick Stensland (Graham Beckel), who was fired as a result, is found dead with a bunch of others in a coffee shop.
The three detectives, working apart for most of the film, begin to uncover lots of twists, as well as hidden secrets of L.A. life. They run into a wealthy man named Pierce Patchett (David Straithairn), who runs a little side job, pimping for high-class hookers who look like celebrities. One of them turns out to be a woman named Lynn Bracken (Kim Bassinger - I know, a shock), who looks like Veronica Lake, and who soon begins fooling around with Bud.
The film unearths even more smut, as a result of the slimy Syd Hudgeons (Danny DeVito), who runs a little gossip page called "Hush Hush," which gets off on making people look bad. The magazine gets a lot of tip-offs from Vincennes (who also has a hysterical side job of being the technical advisor for a "Dragnet"-esque show called "Badge of Honor," starring none other than Matt McCoy), as well as tipping off for Vincennes.
>From this point on, the story is intricate, fun to watch, and filled with depth. The incident uncovers a lot of police corruption, leading all the way to the top. I loved the way the film was very responsible about this, and showed the corruption being as a result of a lack of justice in the world. After all, justice is almost impossible to inforce, and sometimes one needs to bend the truth a bit.
I also loved how every single scene in "L.A. Confidential" is intricately planned out for the maximum effect. For the entirety of the film, I kept waiting for a scene to slip up, to go the wrong way. The plot never falters, even after twist upon twist upon twist upon twist, etc. And the characterization is always deep, and never false. Curtis Hanson (who has directed the horrible "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," as well as the tepid "The River Wild") has created a wonderful film here, filled with moody atmosphere, as well as a gorgeous backdrop. I mean, this is Hollywood. In the 50s.
The acting is also amazing. Kevin Spacey, of course, is amazing, as usual. But what's cool is how he shares the screen with two non-stars. Russell Crowe, who is an accomplished Aussie actor, who has been in a couple American pics ("Virtuosity" and "The Quick and the Dead"), is absolutely awesome in his role. He has charisma, style, and even depth. Of course, if you've seen him in anything else, this isn't even remotely a big shock. And Guy Pearce is pretty incredible, looking very stern yet kind of ignorant as to the ways of the LAPD. And if you've seen him as the ecstatic, overzealous, drag queen in "The Adventures of the Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (yes, he's also an Aussie), it's even more incredible of a performance. Interesting side note: all three of the leads have played a gay man in a movie at least once.
And in the supporting region, DeVito and Bassinger are pretty awesome in their respective roles. DeVito has that kind of sliminess that only he can make lovable, and he does it brilliantly here. And Bassinger, who is near the end of my list of actresses who would shock me with a great performance, shocked me with a great performance. Who knew Mrs. Baldwin could act, what after that "Real McCoy" movie?
"L.A. Confidential" is definitely one of the best films of the year; a masterpiece from start to finish. 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.
MY RATING (out of 4): ****
Homepage at: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/8335/
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