L.A. CONFIDENTIAL 1997
A film review by Timothy Voon
Copyright 1997 Timothy Voon
3 :-) :-) :-) for a game of strategy on the chessboard of organised
crime
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito Director: Curtis Hanson Screenplay: Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland based on the novel by James Ellroy
This movie is about good cops and bad cops, with shades of grey smudging the fine line in between. Throw in a classy hooker and the dead rat smells like organised crime.
The good cop (Guy Pearce) follows in the footsteps of his old man and carries his badge with honour and duty. His father, a highly decorated dick in the police force was gunned down by a nobody felon who got away with it. His motivation for joining the force is to catch the ghost of the murderer who killed his father, and any criminal that thinks he won't get caught. With more brains than brawn, and spectacles to go with intelligence, he's a goody two shoes who knows when to snitch on another cop and climb the political arena of justice at the same time.
The bad cop (Russel Crowe) watched his mother beaten to death by his father as a boy. His idea of justice comes with a fist and a punch before reading your rights. He makes a good thug of an interrogator, and knows how to beat all the crap and information out of you. This angry young man won't take no for an answer, and when it comes to battered women, he gives the abusive husband an equally good battering. He's not your regular textbook cop who follows the rules, and will take the law into his own hands by executing justice with the point of his gun. This renegade lone star is someone you don't want around in a highly volatile situation, but if your life is on the line he knows how to let the bullets fly.
The grey cop (Kevin Spacey) can't remember why he became a cop in the first place. His motivation and sense of right and wrong have become blurred by the glitz of Hollywood. He's a cop seeking media attention and knows how to play smart, look good and talk right. He'll tell you what you want to hear, and gives you a hell of a story to sell. His brushes with fame come in the form of catching movie stars and high profile politicians engaging the services of prostitutes. He'll do just about anything to make the headlines with a photo snap. His amoral life takes a turn when a set-up between a male prostitute and councillor goes badly wrong. This wakes up his conscience long since drowned by years of bribe taking and easy living. Before he can make amends for his waylaid calling, his life is snatched from him as easily as slipping a 50 dollar bill into your wallet.
The classy hooker (Kim Basinger) looks like Veronica Lake. She knows how to play both good cop and bad cop to her best advantage, and can make a man come as easily as slipping out of her lingerie and into bed. Her tools are seduction and trickery, but the moves are not hers to direct. She is a lowly pawn on the chessboard of crime that is used by a crafty master in the grand finale act of checkmate. She is lucky to survive the game when so many other important pieces have already been sacrificed for the greater goal of winning.
This is certainly one of the better suspense, mystery thrillers of the year, with intelligent script writing, plot control and motivation. Well worth a nod towards at the cinema.
Timothy Voon e-mail: stirling@netlink.com.au
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