L.A. CONFIDENTIAL (1997)
Directed by Curtis Hanson
Starring : Kevin Spacey (Jack Vincennes)
Russell Crowe (Bud White)
Guy Pearce (Ed Exley)
Kim Basinger (Lynn Bracken)
Running Time : 2hrs 25mins
Rating : ****1/2 out of *****
With storytelling this compelling, who needs books?
Based on the book by author James Ellroy, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is probably one of the best piece of work produced by Hollywood in recent years. Together with director Curtis Hanson (The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, The River Wild) whom Ellroy corroborated closely throughout the shooting of the film, resulted in a movie with a plot and and script so tight, an atom would have to squeeze itself through.
Set in the 50s, the story revolves around 3 policemen of vivid personalities. Jack Vincennes (Spacey) is the cop who is more concerned on busting with fame and stardom ala Hollywood style, concentrating heavily on work which will attract him media attention. There is also the young hot-shot rookie, Ed Exley (Pearce), fresh out of the academy and all-out to carve a name for himself in the footsteps of his legendary cop father. The tough and unnerving Bud White (Crowe), a cop who believes in justice, the swift and violent way. 3 policemen, distinct in their characters and paths but all of them working in a place where there is no real distinction between good and evil.
When his partner is murdered on the day of his resignation, Bud sets out to find the people responsible but unwittingly delved himself into something more than just a simple robbery murder. Even after Exley receives a promotion for his work on the murder case, happenings began to link itself to the murder. The 3 eventually reach a point of convergence when what actually began as a personal investigation turns out to be an uncovering of a complex web of organised-crime in Hollywood.
The last time I remember a film so clever and compelling was when I watched THE USUAL SUSPECTS. In L.A. CONFIDENTIAL, you do not get the shock and cleverness as the former but it has a lot more of `story' going for it. There is not a single moment in the film in which I felt was slow at all. Surprisingly, though Spacey did a very convincing job as the street-wise Vincennes, the movie was carried mostly by the two rather `unknowns', Pearce and Crowe. Pearce's Exley is cool and calculative in his actions and there is a slight hint of Val Kilmer in his appearance. Crowe's Bud White is the most impressive of all; head-strong and temperamental, he should obtain some sort of recognition for his work here.
Superb acting., wonderful storytelling and one of the best climaxing gunfights ever. Easily the best Hollywood piece for 1997.
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