Review of L.A. Confidential (1997) by Ethan A — 27 Jun 2011

Do you ever think the Academy got it wrong? Did your pick for Best Picture get snubbed by some over acted melodrama? Well boys and girls, 1997 was one of those years, and one of those movies to almost sinfully lose to Titanic is L.A. Confidential, quite simply...one of the greatest films of our generation.

Guy Pierce plays Exley, a rising policeman who thinks no one, not even his own colleagues, are above the law. Kevin Spacey plays Jack, a celebrity cop who gets his kicks by ratting out to the press. And then there is Bud, played by Russell Crowe. He is a dedicated policeman, who particularly hates wife beaters. All three policemen have very different styles, and all three have one playground: Los Angeles.

It is a modern day film noir, a genre that was huge in the early 40's with such classics as Double Indemnity and The Maltese Falcon, it died out and was brought back for a fantastic, yet short comeback in the 70's with the borderline flawless Roman Polanski film, Chinatown. L.A. Confidential flows a lot like Chinatown, and its got the screenplay and the performances to back it up. All of the actors are at the top of their game, with one of the best ensemble casts since Pulp Fiction. The screenplay is amazing, winning that year's Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. It also won Best Supporting Actress for Kim Basinger, who is sensational.

L.A. Confidential is a smart, unpredictable, sexy, cop thriller that is a masterpiece in almost every sense of the word. Easily the best cop since Serpico, and one of the most entertaining and all around best films of recent years. You would be doing yourself a disservice if you miss this masterpiece.