REVIEW: La Confidential By Luke Buckmaster (bucky@alphalink.com.au)
On the Buckmaster scale of 0 stars (bomb), to 5 stars (a masterpiece): 4 and a half stars
Curtis Hanson, the director of River Wild and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, now features two of Australia's finest actors in his latest film LA Confidential. Bursting of class and realism, the film is set in "The City of Angels", Los Angeles, in the chaotic 1950's. But all is not well in paradise - as an apparently gleaming city is corrupted with mass murdering, drug dealing and high-class porn - all types of organized crime. The law enforcement's aren't much help either, as the image of fat cops accepting pay offs is spreading quickly whilst high ranking authorities and the corruption they deal in is rotting away the structures of society.
Although set long after the days of Al Capone and The Untouchables, little has changed in both the city and the situation of the film. Cops are either crooked or abnormally honest, so it's clear to see what sorts of characters are going to develop from the slick opening scenes of the film. But the mechanics of the film, the real oomph, is hidden behind twists and developments in the tricky and often very involving plot.
The two most intriguing characters, Ed Exley and Bud White, are played by Aussie sensations Guy Pearce and Russel Crowe who successfully give the "good cop bad cop" routine a much needed polishing and end up looking simply sensational as two very different screen detectives. Exley, a by-the-book and very noble officer, is not afraid to conceal the truth - even if that means ratting on one of his colleagues. On the other side of the spectrum, Bud White is a brutal and relentless member of the force who will stop at nothing to make sure that justice is served. With a particular grudge against women bashers; White becomes quickly known as someone to keep friendly with, although he serves his fellow officers with respect and perhaps even admiration. Along with Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), the celebrity cop who never forgets to bring a camera on stake outs, Exley and White quickly become involved in a web of murder, blackmail, deceit and intrigue. But as the plot thickens, and the search to find the "man that gets away with it" continues, Exley and White eventually realize that the only way to uncover the mystery is to work as a team.
LA Confidential, a movie of class and quality, has added itself successfully to this year's most impressive Hollywood line up. I should be said that some people may not find this film to be as special as I did - but everyone can admire the way LA Confidential steers clear of main stream ideas and characters and presents us with intriguing situations and personalities.
In its worst moments, the more subtle viewer will notice LA Confidential's excessive use of violence to demonstrate the era it's set in, but in its best moments the word "excellence" is taken to new standards.
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