TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

Sharkflei Your blood may run cold, but you now find yourself pinioned to the story.

Keeley Coleman The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Davis P L.A. Confidential (1997) is a crime drama/mystery film that has gone down in cinema history as one of the best films ever made. It is a great film, that's for damn sure. They did so many things right with it, from the acting to the clever dialogue. The acting and the cast is probably my favorite thing about this film. Russell Crowe, one of my favorite actors, gives a fine performance here as Sgt. White. His character has depth and is interesting, thanks to the writing and Crowe's skills with acting. Guy Pearce is great here, playing a hated cop, who has just been promoted to lieutenant. I loved how he played his character and the dynamic between him and the other characters. Kim Basinger gives what is probably her best performance. This was Academy Award win for best supporting actress, a win that she so deserved. I can feel her raw emotion in every single moment of her beautiful performance.The writing is great too, I was intrigued by the dialogue, especially when it involved Basinger's character. Very smart and quick, kept things interesting. I hate a film with poorly written dialogue, it's sloppy and you wills surely lose the audiences attention. Thank god this writer knew what he was doing. The editing was done well and I adored the costumes and set designs. I suggest L.A. Confidential as an interesting crime/mystery drama.

merelyaninnuendo L.A. ConfidentialA well set out webs of sub-plots that is ready to flip on cue with some awe-struck moments and brilliant performances, L.A. Confidential is that rare crime-drama that puts spotlight on scary issues.

SquigglyCrunch L.A. Confidential follows three cops in L.A. as they attempt to crack a murder case that is more than it seems. The three main characters, excellently played by Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, and Guy Pearce, are also well written. Yes, their characters are generally built around one major character trait, but they still manage to branch out from just that. The characters all have motivations that are laid out in expository fashion, but said exposition isn't so drawn out that it derails the film's momentum. It's quick, and it works to flesh out the characters. Not only that, but the characters go through arcs. They get over things, move on from ideas they once indulged, act out rashly like people do. They're flawed in more ways that just being dirty cops, and I think that's one of the best selling points about them and the movie as a whole. I'm a sucker for a good crime story, no matter whose side it takes. Here, L.A. Confidential manages to forge a complex, yet largely easy to follow story. Sure, I got confused with some of the names and such, but the dirty cop formula is one that is often easier to follow than police politics. The movie mixes both, and it actually works. The crime itself is engaging to see as the detectives find more clues and discover more along with the audience. It's a lot of fun, and often creates some stellar tension. If I have but one real issue with the movie, it's how forgettable it is. With poster art as bad as it has, it's no wonder I never paid attention to it until I saw the ratings. It's not a movie that would jump to my mind when someone brings up great movies, or even crime movies for that matter. Maybe later into the conversation I'd start raving about how good it was, but it'd take a bit to get there.Overall L.A. Confidential is a really solid crime drama with great characters and writing. Sure it's pretty forgettable, and I probably won't see it again for quite some time, but it's a solid watch for sure, and in the end I'd definitely recommend it.

TheLittleSongbird As a fan of mysteries and thrillers and who likes a lot of the cast (such a great one on paper), expectations were high for 'LA Confidential'. And 'LA Confidential' didn't disappoint at all, it is an outstanding film on all levels and should have won the Best Picture Oscar of 1997 and won more.Visually, 'LA Confidential' looks great. The photography is both audacious and stylish, suitably the story and genre superlatively. A good music score also helps and there is an appropriately haunting one courtesy of one of the greatest film composers ever. Curtis Hansen directs superbly, it has a lot of style and how it balances everything is so cleverly done, he hasn't made a better film and to me it's the best directing of his entire career.'LA Confidental' richly deserved its Best Screenplay Oscar. No other film that year came close to the film's rich character development, complexity and its refusal to fall into cliché territory. All the characters are compelling in their realism and none of them feel stereotypical or one-sided, actually breaking the mould of good cops and bad villains. The story is gripping in its intensity and thrills, with plenty of unexpected twists and turns, and very rare a dull moment.The acting is exceptionally full-blooded and there isn't a single weak link. How Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and Kevin Spacey weren't nominated for Oscars is unfathomable. Spacey in particular is brilliant, though Crowe is appropriately hard-nosed and Pearce has rarely been better.James Cromwell and Danny De Vito also shine. Cromwell is chillingly insidious and De Vito has never been slimier. Whether Kim Basinger deserved her Oscar win is up for debate, to me it was a very worthy win where she gives her role hard edge and charm.In conclusion, superb film-making and an outstanding film on all levels. 10/10 Bethany Cox