One of the greatest films ever made, L.A. Confidential benefits from a great script (Brian Helgeland), great performances (Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, David Straithairn), and great direction (Curtis Hanson). It's not easy to do a film noir in modern times that is set it in the past. All too often, the performances are too stylized or nonorganic, the direction is stilted -- the whole thing comes off as an attempt, and not a very good one. In this case, though, the result is brilliant.
Basically, L.A. Confidential is the story of three very different kinds of police officers who become involved in the same case, the Night Owl Murders. There's Russell Crowe as Bud White, the loose cannon, a strong but vulnerable cop; Guy Pearce as Exley, the political, honest, by the book cop who incurs everyone's wrath; and Kevin Spacey as Jack Vincennes, the celebrity detective who is a consultant on a Dragnet-type TV show, Badge of Honor. He works hand in hand with a writer for Hush magazine (Danny DeVito). But they're not the only ones embroiled in the Night Owl diner slaughter. There's Dudley Smith (James Cromwell), the Chief of Police, Ellis Loew (Ron Rifkin), the bisexual D.A., the wealthy, powerful Pierce Patchett (David Straithairn); and Lynn, the Veronica Lake-lookalike call girl (Kim Basinger). And Rollo Tomassi, of course - an important name in the investigation.
It's hard to single out any one performance. The film is perfectly cast. The three officers - Spacey, Crowe, and Pearce - are as brilliant as the characters they play are different. And everyone else in the cast is fantastic as well.
Historically, there are some things that are not correct as far as Hollywood - The Bad and the Beautiful and Roman Holiday did not run at the same time; and the duo of Johnny Stompanato and Lana Turner came later. However, two elements of the film are based on reality or at least rumors - there was supposedly a call girl ring where the women looked like famous film stars; and "Hush" magazine, the cover anyway, looks like "Whisper" magazine from that era.
L.A. Confidential is a story of twists, turns, and camaraderie that take place on the mean streets of '50s L.A., a story that winds up changing the lives of everyone involved. Filled with atmosphere and suspense, it's a not to be missed, violent, vivid portrait of a time when things at LAPD were (and still might be today) off the record, on the q.t. -- and very hush-hush.
