Review of L.A. Confidential (1997) by Kitty W — 16 Nov 2011

I am a Curtis Hanson fan, let's discuss another of his films that is a 180 from "The Wonder Boys" a film I previously reviewed. "L.A. Confidential" a film noir, adapted from James Ellroy's third installment in the L.A. Quartet series, immerses the viewer in 1950's Los Angeles. Kevin Spacey, Guy Pierce and Russell Crowe give fine performances as detectives in the City of Angels investigating a coffee shop massacre that may involve one of their own. The film's cinematography is as captivating as the plot, capturing the duality of L.A. in the 50's; sunny and glamorous on one side and filled with corrupt cops, elegant hookers, murder cover-ups and manipulative paparazzi on the other. This is terrific storytelling, as is all of James Ellroy's books, and Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland bring it to life with a screenplay that maintains the fine balance of relationships developed in the novel. As the story is full and bold, this film deserves repeated viewing to capture the full essence of the story.

"L.A. Confidential" (1997) Directed by Curtis Hanson. Starring Kevin Spacey, Guy Pierce, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, James Cromwell, Ron Rifkin, and David Strathairn. The film earned two Academy Awards; Best Supporting Actress, Kim Basinger and Adapted Screenplay, Curtis Hanson and Brian Helgeland.