story about police corruption in 1950s Los Angeles. We get to know these people, to understand who they are and why they do what they do, and to root for them to overcome their imperfections.The directing is fantastic. Curtis Hanson doesn't shove anything in the audience's face; instead, he allows the audience to discover the film's nuances on their own. That makes this an excellent film for repeat viewings, you truly catch something new every time . 1950s Los Angeles is reproduced beautifully. The editing is quick and seamless, the music is perfect for the film Hanson should teach other directors how to do a montage effectively , and the cinematography is great.I can't find a negative thing to say about this film. It's truly a masterpiece.

ruthless, and unforgiving of anyone, which brings him into direct conflict with Detective Lieutenant Ed Exley, played by Guy Pearce. Russell Crowe became with this role a full pledged character actor,: the cop with a steel physique, and a vulnerable heart. He becomes so believable and real to the audience, you can not help but sympathize for his character under the circumstances. From this role, Crowe went on to garner three best actor nominations, winning for his role in Gladiator.Guy Pearce, the little known Australian body builder, became the character known as Ed Exley, a straight, uptight detective trying to live up to the legend his father created before him. Exley has so much to prove to the LAPD, trying to show them that he is just as good, maybe even better, than his father. He plays the politics in a corrupted police department very well, and is able to use these skills in solving the corrupt and mysterious case of the Night Owl murders. This film officially put Guy Pearce in the big leagues of film, making his next appearances in Memento and The Count of Monte Cristo. He is a severely underrated actor who deserves better than what he has been getting.Finally, the ever wonderful Kevin Spacey. Spacey plays Lieutenant Jack Vincenes, a cop who gives a popular LA police show, Badge of Honor, real solved cases in return for money. Jack sees his life as an ever going soap opera, until he comes across a case that somehow has a connection to the Night Owl murders. Kevin Spacey has proved time and again his abilities as an actor, and he continues with this performance. Curtis Hansen does a wonderful job bringing this story to the big screen. His talents, although recognized, have not been awarded as of yet. I can only hope that someday, someone will give this amazing director something worthy of his talents. Highly Recommended. MJR

deal of your audience lived through the time you are portraying, as in the case of the 1950's? I can even envision my grandfather coming back from WW2 to a booming economy, and living in the world Curtis Hanson created.The real genus of this film is that it creates not only a physical world, but one with all the politics, corruption, racism and inequity of the time. As a result we feel the characters motivations and understand their faults all the better; Bud White, Ed Exley, Lynn Bracken and Lana Turner all live here. This film, like others that make us believe we are there for two hours and $7.50 , will endure. I was thinking a perfect double feature would be with Chinatown, another film that will stand the test of time.

police/criminal movies, because we get to experience the action behind the curtain, from a passive point of view. The plot has a great balance between tossing us into the action, and gently luring us through one mystery after another, trying to find the answers. The actors give the ideas of the script and the characters faces, and gives us a chance to relate and identify with the characters involved. Each of them delivers great performances: Spacey as always smart, sly and above all believable, though he does not exceed his brilliant performance in "The Usual Suspects". Crowe with his, so far, best performance in my opinion, with temper and depth. Pearce with an OK performance without really reaching the top, but fills out his character nicely. Devito is amusing and cool and does everything he can to contribute to this movie. Basinger with her Oscar-winning role, plays the beautiful blond convincingly and spices up the last aspect of the movie, with splendor and depth as well. Alltogehter this makes one hell of a good movie. Fast, smart, complicated, exciting, raw and above all believable and entertaining. Well done by the creators of L.A. Confidential.

the 50's, with very realistic characters and an accurate depiction of the corruption and issues of the period.The cast includes Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Bassinger and Danny Devito, and every one of them delivers a top notch performance, and i have to say Guy Pearce was surprisingly the one that shone the most.Not to be missed 9/10

other than Danny DeVito, who was in another movie entirely . Why wasn't Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and James Cromwell nominated for Supporting Actor? Crowe could easily have won - he WAS that guy. Good, solid movie.

L.A. most people don't get to see. Behind all the Hollywood glamour L.A. has a seamy side which will be the focus of this tale. At the heart of the movie are three cops who ostensibly are supposed to be working together but who go about the business of dispensing justice in very different ways. Crowe plays aggressive hothead Bud White. Spacey is Jack Vincennes, who takes more pride in his work as an adviser on a popular television cop drama than he does in his actual police work. And Pearce plays Edmund Exley, a young up-and-comer in the department who plays things by the book. As we will soon see Exley is rather unique in an LAPD which believes in doing whatever is necessary to bring the guilty to justice. Even if it means becoming a little guilty themselves.The movie really begins to move forward with a massacre at a coffee shop. It seems a pretty cut and dried case but initial appearances can be deceiving. Soon White, Vincennes and Exley will find themselves caught up in a maze of lies, deception and mystery. It will be a great test for these very different men as it appears they may well need each other's unique talents to solve this puzzle. And quite the elaborate puzzle it is. One important piece is Lynn Bracken, a high class call girl played by Basinger. Tying together many of this complex story's strands is gossip writer Sid Hudgens who is played with appropriate sleaziness by DeVito. And in the background the whole time is the somewhat mysterious Captain Dudley Smith, played by Cromwell. Here is a man who believes in bringing the guilty to justice by any means necessary. That's all well and good if you know who the guilty are but in L.A. Confidential you're never quite sure who to believe. The viewer is guessing right along with the investigators on the screen. And in the end it all comes together and pays off brilliantly.L.A. Confidential is first and foremost a great story, with many fascinating twists and turns along the way. The film also serves as a showcase for some of this generation's finest acting talents. Each of the main characters is wonderfully unique and each of the actors involved does a terrific job in bringing those characters to life. These are complex characters in a complex tale. It's so involved that the acting had to be stellar if this film was going to work and none of the stars disappoint. Terrific storytelling brought to life by a collection of inspired performances makes L.A. Confidential an absolute winner.

50s. "L. A. Confidential" even goes as far as poking fun at the sensationalized way films were made in that time period with a hilarious sequence where a cop on a show called, "Badge of Honor," interrupts a women giving him details about some crime, and he says, "Just the facts, ma'am. Just the facts."The tangled and twisted plot is engrossing and filled with seduction, cons, lies, betrayal, killings, and corruption. The acting is terrific from a slew of great actors including Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Walter Cromwell plays one of the great villains I've ever seen. All of these guys have a lot of fun with their roles, and do an excellent job. Kim Basinger plays a prostitute who tries to look like a movie a star so that her pimp, Pierce Patchett David Stratharin , can reap the benefits since everyone wants to be with a celebrity. "L. A. Confidential" is as much a look at the culture of the 50s, both commercially through television and the dirty business of police officers exposed, as it is being a stylized homage piece. This is a film that's done exceptionally well with some great lines, great performances, and a plot that will force you to watch it again and again. It hardly misses a beat. This is one of the few films that can recreate the 50s with its acting and style and still hold up with todays society. It works well as a film and exceptionally well as an homage piece.

"L.A. Confidential" for a watch. It's a good film. But nothing to get excited over.8/10