Rent L.A. Confidential (1997)

A fine piece of homage to another era. - L.A. Confidential review by jl

A truly excellent piece of movie noir. Modern and period clever but not flashy. Great acting by a superior caste including the great Kevin Spacey. Cynical and funny well edited and very entertaining.

Very few chances to pause & catch your breath. - L.A. Confidential review by DW

I'm not a big fan of the writing of James Ellroy but from what little I've read, I'd say this film is a fine depiction of the novel on which it's based so if you like to read Ellroy then you'll love this film. The pace is frantic & there's only a few "not much happening" moments so no time for a comfort break! Besides, you need to concentrate hard throughout in order to spot the baddies. (The goodies are, of course, dead easy to spot).

A dive into the soft underbelly of Los Angeles in the 1950s - L.A. Confidential review by Philip in Paradiso

The story takes place in Los Angeles in the early 1950s. It centres on the city's police department (LAPD), plagued by decades of corruption and debatable police practices. The detectives within the LAPD are aware that a clandestine prostitution ring is operating in the city, while large quantities of heroin are being trafficked. When Mickey Cohen, a powerful gangster, is jailed, a string of murders rocks the city, as Mickey Cohen's gang is challenged in its dominance by rival criminals.

The central characters are Detective Sergeant Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey); Officer Wendell 'Bud' White (Russell Crowe); Detective Lieutenant Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce); and, finally, Lynn Bracken, a high-class prostitute (Kim Basinger). The interplay between the various characters is central to the story, more particularly the rivalry that develops between Bud White, a bruiser with a hot temper, and Edmund Exley, an idealistic officer who would like to clean up and modernize the way that the police department operates.

This is undoubtedly a very good film, with a solid plot that develops in an interesting way, well served by the main actors' excellent performance. The first 70% of the film is convincing as the plot unfolds, but I found the end of the story, with its spectacular action-movie climax, somewhat implausible. Still, an enjoyable, very well-made feature film.