Feb 1, 2010 (Calcutta Tube): The DVD of L.A. Confidential, a 1997 English thriller movie directed by Curtis Hanson with Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe in lead roles, is to release on Feb 2, 2010. The action mystery won 2 Oscars with another 69 wins and 43 nominations. The film made $ 5.21 M in USA in the opening weekend and a gross of $ 126 M worldwide. The film is about police corruption in the 50s in LA with three cops after the truth. Watch the traielr online.
Genre
Crime / Drama / Mystery / Thriller
Taglines
* Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush…
* Everything is suspect…everyone is for sale…and nothing is what it seems.
* It’s a crime saga that will shock you. It’s a mystery that will keep you guessing. It’s a thriller that will keep you riveted.
Cast and Crew:
Directed by
Curtis Hanson
Writers (WGA)
Novel “L.A. Confidential”
James Ellroy
Screenplay
Brian Helgeland & Curtis Hanson
Producers
Curtis Hanson … producer
Brian Helgeland … co-producer
Dan Kolsrud … executive producer
Arnon Milchan … producer
Michael Nathanson¹ … producer
David L. Wolper … executive producer
Cast – in credits order (verified as complete)
Kevin Spacey … Jack Vincennes
Russell Crowe … Bud White
Guy Pearce … Ed Exley
James Cromwell … Dudley Smith
Kim Basinger … Lynn Bracken
Danny DeVito … Sid Hudgens
David Strathairn … Pierce Patchett
Ron Rifkin … D.A. Ellis Loew
Matt McCoy … ‘Badge of Honor’ Star Brett Chase
Paul Guilfoyle … Mickey Cohen
Paolo Seganti … Johnny Stompanato
Elisabeth Granli … Mickey Cohen’s Mambo Partner
Sandra Taylor … Mickey Cohen’s Mambo Partner
Steve Rankin … Officer Arresting Mickey Cohen
Graham Beckel … Dick Stensland
Allan Graf … Wife Beater
Precious Chong … Wife
Symba Smith … Jack’s Dancing Partner
Bob Clendenin … Reporter at Hollywood Station
Lennie Loftin … Photographer at Hollywood Station
Will Zahrn … Liquor Store Owner
Amber Smith … Susan Lefferts
Darrell Sandeen … Buzz Meeks
Michael Warwick … Sid’s Assistant
Simon Baker Denny¹ … Matt Reynolds
Shawnee Free Jones … Tammy Jordan
Matthew Allen Bretz … Officer Escorting Mexicans
Thomas Rosales Jr. … First Mexican
Shane Dixon … Officer – Detective at Hollywood Station
Norman Howell … Officer – Detective at Hollywood Station
Brian Lally … Officer – Detective at Hollywood Station
Don Pulford … Officer – Detective at Hollywood Station
Chris Short … Officer – Detective at Hollywood Station
John Mahon … Police Chief
Tomas Arana … Breuning – Dudley’s Guy
Michael McCleery … Carlisle – Dudley’s Guy
George Yager … Gangster at Victory Motel
Jack Conley … Vice Captain
Ginger Slaughter … Secretary in Vice
Jack Knight … Detective at Detective Bureau
John H. Evans … Patrolman at Nite Owl Cafe
Gene Wolande … Forensic Chief
Brian Bossetta … Forensic Officer
Michael Chieffo … Coroner
Gwenda Deacon … Mrs. Lefferts
Mike Kennedy … Bud’s Rejected Partner
Ingo Neuhaus … Jack’s Rejected Partner
Robert Harrison … Pierce Patchett’s Bodyguard
Jim Metzler … City Councilman
Robert Barry Fleming … Boxer
Jeremiah Birkett … Ray Collins – Nite Owl Suspect
Salim Grant … Louis Fontaine – Nite Owl Suspect
Karreem Washington … Ty Jones – Nite Owl Suspect
Noel Evangelisti … Stenographer
Marisol Padilla Sanchez¹ … Inez Soto – Rape Victim
Jeff Sanders … Sylvester Fitch
Steve Lambert¹ … Roland Navarette
Jordan Marder … Officer at Detective Bureau
Gregory White … Mayor
April Breneman … Look-Alike Dancer
Lisa Worthy … Look-Alike Dancer
Beverly Sharpe … Witness on ‘Badge of Honor’
Colin Mitchell … Reporter at Hospital
John Slade … Photographer at Hospital
Brenda Bakke … Lana Turner
Kevin Maloney … Frolic Room Bartender
Patrice Walters … Police File Clerk
Rebecca Jane Klingler¹ … Police File Clerk
Irene Roseen … D.A. Ellis Loew’s Secretary
Scott Eberlein … West Hollywood Sheriff’s Deputy
David St. James … Detective at Hush-Hush Office
Bodie Newcomb … Officer at Hush-Hush Office
Jeff Austin … Detective
Robert Foster … Detective
Kevin Kelly¹ … Detective
Henry Marder … Detective
Monty McKee … Detective
Henry Meyers … Detective
Michael Ossmann … Detective
Dick Stilwell … Detective
Jess Thomas … Detective
Samuel Thompson¹ … Detective
Jody Wood … Detective
Other credited cast listed alphabetically
Jonathan Adler … Photographer (uncredited)
William Boyd … Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Hennen Chambers … Reporter (uncredited)
Priscilla Cory … Brunette Police Woman (uncredited)
T.K. Durham … Senator’s Aide (uncredited)
Deborah Kerr … Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Virginia Mayo … Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Scott McKinley … Cop (uncredited)
Marilyn Monroe … Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jimmy Ortega … Second Mexican (uncredited)
Gilbert Rosales … Third Mexican (uncredited)
Nectar Rose … Marilyn Monroe (uncredited)
Jane Russell … Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Rocco Salata … Uniformed Patrol Officer (uncredited)
Frank Sinatra … Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Sam P. Whitehead … Detective (uncredited)
Dell Yount … Court Bailiff (uncredited)
Original Music
Jerry Goldsmith
Cinematographers
Dante Spinotti (director of photography)
Editors
Peter Honess
Casting Directors
Mali Finn
Production Designers
Jeannine Oppewall¹
Awards:
Academy Awards, USA
1998
• Won, Oscar
Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Kim Basinger
• Won, Oscar
Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
• Nominated, Oscar
Best Music, Original Dramatic Score
Jerry Goldsmith
• Nominated, Oscar
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
• Nominated, Oscar
Best Film Editing
Peter Honess
• Nominated, Oscar
Best Picture
Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson, Michael G. Nathanson
• Nominated, Oscar
Best Sound
Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, Kirk Francis
• Nominated, Oscar
Best Art Direction-Set Decoration
Jeannine Claudia Oppewall (art director), Jay Hart (set decorator)
• Nominated, Oscar
Best Cinematography
Dante Spinotti
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA
1998
• Won, Saturn Award
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film
American Cinema Editors, USA
1998
• Nominated, Eddie
Best Edited Feature Film
Peter Honess
American Society of Cinematographers, USA
1998
• Nominated, ASC Award
Outstanding Achievement in Cinematography in Theatrical Releases
Dante Spinotti
Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards
1998
• Nominated, Silver Condor
Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera)
Curtis Hanson
• USA.
Art Directors Guild
1998
• Nominated, Excellence in Production Design Award
Feature Film
Jeannine Claudia Oppewall (production designer), William Arnold (art director)
Australian Film Institute
1998
• Won, Best Foreign Film Award
Curtis Hanson (director), Arnon Milchan (producer), Curtis Hanson (producer), Michael G. Nathanson (producer)
Awards of the Japanese Academy
1999
• Won, Award of the Japanese Academy
Best Foreign Film
BAFTA Awards
1998
• Won, BAFTA Film Award
Best Editing
Peter Honess
• Won, BAFTA Film Award
Best Sound
Terry Rodman, Roland N. Thai, Kirk Francis, Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer, John Leveque
• Nominated, BAFTA Film Award
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
Kim Basinger
• Nominated, BAFTA Film Award
Best Make Up/Hair
John M. Elliott, Scott H. Eddo, Janis Clark
• Nominated, Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music
Jerry Goldsmith
• Nominated, David Lean Award for Direction
Curtis Hanson
• Nominated, BAFTA Film Award
Best Screenplay – Adapted
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
• Nominated, BAFTA Film Award
Best Film
Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson, Michael G. Nathanson
• Nominated, BAFTA Film Award
Best Costume Design
Ruth Myers
• Nominated, BAFTA Film Award
Best Production Design
Jeannine Claudia Oppewall
• Nominated, BAFTA Film Award
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Kevin Spacey
• Nominated, BAFTA Film Award
Best Cinematography
Dante Spinotti
BMI Film & TV Awards
1998
• Won, BMI Film Music Award
Jerry Goldsmith
Blue Ribbon Awards
1999
• Won, Blue Ribbon Award
Best Foreign Language Film
Curtis Hanson
Bodil Awards
1998
• Won, Bodil
Best American Film (Bedste amerikanske film)
Curtis Hanson (director)
Boston Society of Film Critics Awards
1997
• Won, BSFC Award
Best Film
• Won, BSFC Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
• Won, BSFC Award
Best Screenplay
Curtis Hanson, Brian Helgeland
• Won, BSFC Award
Best Supporting Actor
Kevin Spacey
British Society of Cinematographers
1998
• Won, Best Cinematography Award
Dante Spinotti
Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards
1998
• Won, Critics Choice Award
Best Picture
• Won, Critics Choice Award
Best Screenplay, Adapted
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Cannes Film Festival
1997
• Nominated, Golden Palm
Curtis Hanson
Casting Society of America, USA
1998
• Won, Artios
Best Casting for Feature Film, Drama
Mali Finn
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards
1998
• Won, CFCA Award
Best Picture
• Won, CFCA Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
• Won, CFCA Award
Best Screenplay
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Chlotrudis Awards
1998
• Won, Chlotrudis Award
Best Movie
• Won, Chlotrudis Award
Best Actor
Russell Crowe
• Won, Chlotrudis Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
• Won, Chlotrudis Award
Best Screenplay
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
• Won, Chlotrudis Award
Best Supporting Actor
Kevin Spacey
• Won, Chlotrudis Award
Best Cinematography
Dante Spinotti
• Nominated, Chlotrudis Award
Best Actor
Guy Pearce
Cinema Audio Society, USA
1998
• Nominated, C.A.S. Award
Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Feature Film
Andy Nelson (re-recording mixer), Anna Behlmer (re-recording mixer), Kirk Francis (production mixer)
Cinema Writers Circle Awards, Spain
1998
• Won, CEC Award
Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera)
• USA.
Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards
1998
• Won, DFWFCA Award
Best Picture
Directors Guild of America, USA
1998
• Nominated, DGA Award
Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
Curtis Hanson
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
1998
• Won, Edgar
Best Motion Picture
Curtis Hanson, Brian Helgeland
Empire Awards, UK
1998
• Won, Empire Award
Best Actor
Kevin Spacey
Film Critics Circle of Australia Awards
1998
• Won, FCCA Award
Best Foreign Film
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards
1998
• Won, FFCC Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
• Won, FFCC Award
Best Screenplay
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Fotogramas de Plata
1998
• Won, Fotogramas de Plata
Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera)
Curtis Hanson
Golden Globes, USA
1998
• Won, Golden Globe
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Kim Basinger
• Nominated, Golden Globe
Best Motion Picture – Drama
• Nominated, Golden Globe
Best Original Score – Motion Picture
Jerry Goldsmith
• Nominated, Golden Globe
Best Director – Motion Picture
Curtis Hanson
• Nominated, Golden Globe
Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Kinema Junpo Awards
1999
• Won, Kinema Junpo Award
Best Foreign Language Film
Curtis Hanson
• Won, Kinema Junpo Award
Best Foreign Language Film Director
Curtis Hanson
• Won, Readers’ Choice Award
Best Foreign Language Film
Curtis Hanson
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards
1998
• Won, Sierra Award
Best Screenplay
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
London Critics Circle Film Awards
1998
• Won, ALFS Award
Film of the Year
• Won, ALFS Award
Director of the Year
Curtis Hanson
• Won, ALFS Award
Screenwriter of the Year
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
1997
• Won, LAFCA Award
Best Picture
• Won, LAFCA Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
• Won, LAFCA Award
Best Screenplay
Curtis Hanson, Brian Helgeland
• Won, LAFCA Award
Best Cinematography
Dante Spinotti
Mainichi Film Concours
1999
• Won, Mainichi Film Concours
Best Foreign Language Film
Curtis Hanson
Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
1998
• Nominated, Golden Reel Award
Best Sound Editing – Dialogue & ADR
unknown
• Nominated, Golden Reel Award
Best Sound Editing – Music (Foreign & Domestic)
unknown
• Nominated, Golden Reel Award
Best Sound Editing – Sound Effects & Foley
unknown
National Board of Review, USA
1997
• Won, NBR Award
Best Film
• Won, NBR Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
National Society of Film Critics Awards, USA
1998
• Won, NSFC Award
Best Film
• Won, NSFC Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
• Won, NSFC Award
Best Screenplay
Curtis Hanson, Brian Helgeland
New York Film Critics Circle Awards
1997
• Won, NYFCC Award
Best Film
• Won, NYFCC Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
• Won, NYFCC Award
Best Screenplay
Curtis Hanson, Brian Helgeland
Nikkan Sports Film Awards
1998
• Won, Nikkan Sports Film Award
Best Foreign Film
Online Film Critics Society Awards
1998
• Won, OFCS Award
Best Film
• Won, OFCS Award
Best Screenplay
Curtis Hanson, Brian Helgeland
• Nominated, OFCS Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
PGA Awards
1998
• Nominated, Motion Picture Producer of the Year Award
Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson, Michael G. Nathanson
Political Film Society, USA
1998
• Nominated, PFS Award
Human Rights
Sant Jordi Awards
1998
• Won, Audience Award
Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera)
Curtis Hanson
• Won, Sant Jordi
Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera)
Curtis Hanson
Satellite Awards
1998
• Won, Golden Satellite Award
Best Motion Picture Screenplay – Adaption
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
• Nominated, Golden Satellite Award
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Russell Crowe
• Nominated, Golden Satellite Award
Outstanding Original Score
Jerry Goldsmith
• Nominated, Golden Satellite Award
Best Director of a Motion Picture
Curtis Hanson
• Nominated, Golden Satellite Award
Best Motion Picture – Drama
Curtis Hanson, Arnon Milchan, Michael G. Nathanson
• Nominated, Golden Satellite Award
Outstanding Film Editing
Peter Honess
• Nominated, Golden Satellite Award
Outstanding Art Direction
Jeannine Claudia Oppewall
• Nominated, Golden Satellite Award
Outstanding Cinematography
Dante Spinotti
Screen Actors Guild Awards
1998
• Won, Actor
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Kim Basinger
• Tied with Gloria Stuart for Titanic.
• Nominated, Actor
Outstanding Performance by a Cast
Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Russell Crowe, Danny DeVito, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, David Strathairn
Society of Texas Film Critics Awards
1997
• Won, STFC Award
Best Screenplay, Adapted
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Southeastern Film Critics Association Awards
1998
• Won, SEFCA Award
Best Picture
• Won, SEFCA Award
Best Supporting Actress
Kim Basinger
• Won, SEFCA Award
Best Director
Curtis Hanson
• Won, SEFCA Award
Best Adapted Screenplay
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
Toronto International Film Festival
1997
• Won, Metro Media Award
Curtis Hanson
• Tied with Boogie Nights.
USC Scripter Award
1998
• Won, USC Scripter Award
James Ellroy (author), Brian Helgeland (screenwriter), Curtis Hanson (screenwriter)
Writers Guild of America, USA
1998
• Won, WGA Award (Screen)
Best Screenplay Based on Material Previously Produced or Published
Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson
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In a time when it seems that every other movie makes some claim to being a film noir, L.A. Confidential is the real thing--a gritty, sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal, and corruption of all sorts (police, political, press--and, of course, very personal) in 1940s Hollywood. The Oscar-winning screenplay is actually based on several titles in James Ellroy's series of chronological thriller novels (including the title volume, The Big Nowhere, and White Jazz)--a compelling blend of L.A. history and pulp fiction that has earned it comparisons to the greatest of all Technicolor noir films, Chinatown. Kim Basinger richly deserved her Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a conflicted femme fatale; unfortunately, her male costars are so uniformly fine that they may have canceled each other out with the Academy voters: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and James Cromwell play LAPD officers of varying stripes. Pearce's character is a particularly intriguing study in Hollywood amorality and ambition, a strait-laced "hero" (and son of a departmental legend) whose career goals outweigh all other moral, ethical, and legal considerations. If he's a good guy, it's only because he sees it as the quickest route to a promotion. --Jim Emerson
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Video Reviews
L.A. Confidential Trailer HQ (1997)
L.A. Confidential (1997) Trailer
L.A. Confidential (1997) HD trailer
Customer Reviews
Modern noir at its finest.
Review Date: January 21, 2002
Reviewer: Themis-Athena, from somewhere between California and Germany
What is a good cop? One who joined the police force because he was unable to save his mother from being killed by an abusive husband, but who now uses violence not only against wife-beaters but whenever called for by his superior officers; be it to beat a confession out of a suspect
or to discourage criminals from settling in town? Or one who joined the police force to emulate his father, a department legend; to go after "Rollo Tommasi" (the guy who thinks he can get away with anything), but who thereafter lets his career and department politics dictate his actions? Or, in the end, is it the one who has let corruption wipe out so thoroughly the reasons why he once joined the police force that he doesn't even remember a single one of them, but who for once in his life still finds it in himself to go after real criminals, even at the risk of his own life? This is just one, although maybe the central question asked in "L.A. Confidential," the movie based on James Ellroy's novel with the same name. And as does the book, the movie refuses to provide an answer to this and the other questions it asks.
The story is set up by tabloid editor Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito), who during the movie's opening credits gleefully sums up the L.A. clichés that still hold true today: "Come to Los Angeles! The sun shines bright, the beaches are wide and inviting, ... there are jobs aplenty, and land is cheap. Every working man can have his own house, and inside the house a happy, all American family. You can have all this, and who knows, you can even be discovered - become a movie star or at least, singer. Life is good in Los Angeles: it's paradise on earth." Laughing sarcastically, however, he adds: "That's what they tell ya', anyway, 'cause they're selling an image. They're selling it through movies, radio, and television." Then Hudgens proceeds to tell the story of crime boss Mickey C.'s arrest, which left the void in the City of Angels's organized crime scene that sets the stage for this movie's story, and concludes with his tabloid's tag line: "Remember, dear readers, you heard it here first: Off the record, on the QT, and very hush-hush ..."
And as indicated in these opening lines, nothing is as it seems in this 1950s' version of a Los Angeles populated by hookers cut to look like movie stars and cops with more or less disreputable alternative sources of income. As the story progresses, its three heroes - career-driven and pseudo-correct Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), tough-fisted and golden-hearted Wendell "Bud" White (Russell Crowe) and nonchalant, corrupt "celebrity crime stopper" Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) - become unlikely allies in their search for their city's most elusive commodity: the truth. Shades of gray abound, and even the end, which (unlike the novel's) has at least some redeeming aspects, is not a happy ending by a long shot.
Just as many people longingly remembered the days of "The Maltese Falcon," "The Big Sleep" or, for that matter, "Chinatown," proclaimed "they don't make 'em like that anymore" and were ready to announce the death of the noir genre, along came a group of new directors and screenwriters and breathed new life into patient. "The Usual Suspects" is one excellent example, this one is another. Unlike other noir stories', this tale's heroes are no private detectives; but all the classic elements of a film noir are there, from a damsel in distress (Veronica Lake-look-alike hooker Lynn Bracken, award-winningly portrayed by Kim Basinger) to crime, corruption and abuse of power, and to dimmed lights and hard boiled dialogue with many memorable one-liners. In a year overshadowed by the success of the vastly overrated "Titanic," "L.A. Confidential" managed to at least collect the Academy Awards in the best supporting actress and best adapted screenplay categories (Kim Basinger and Brian Helgeland/Curtis Hanson, respectively; the movie had also been nominated in the best picture, best director - again Curtis Hanson -, best original score - Jerry Goldsmith -, best cinematography, best art direction and best editing categories). And while the 1990s have seen a revival of the noir genre, this one is a standout even among the new films noirs the past decade has brought us. It made the careers of its writers, director and two of its stars (Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe), and boosted those of several others of its cast members (Kim Basinger and Kevin Spacey, to name just two). I am sure it will find its eternal place in the annals of Hollywood, alongside its famous predecessors. There are way too few movies like this these days - if you haven't seen it already, go and buy or rent it soon. This is modern noir at its finest.
Also recommended:
L.A. Confidential
Raymond Chandler: Stories and Early Novels: Pulp Stories / The Big Sleep / Farewell, My Lovely / The High Window (Library of America)
Complete Novels: Red Harvest, The Dain Curse, The Maltese Falcon, The Glass Key, and The Thin Man (Library of America #110)
Crime Novels: American Noir of the 1930s and 40s: The Postman Always Rings Twice / They Shoot Horses, Don't They? / Thieves Like Us / The Big Clock / Nightmare ... / I Married a Dead Man (Library of America)
The Bogart Collection (Casablanca/The Maltese Falcon/To Have and Have Not/The Big Sleep/The Treasure of the Sierra Madre)
Double Indemnity (Universal Legacy Series)
The Postman Always Rings Twice
Chinatown (Special Collector's Edition)
Very Good Movie, and Well Worth Owning on DVD
Review Date: July 28, 2000
Reviewer: Sam Bethune, Lincoln, Nebraska USA
"LA Confidential" takes detective film noir in a different direction-something I didn't think could be done. Director Curtis Hanson stated that he wanted the focus of this period piece to be on the characters and dialogue rather than the locations, clothing, cars, etc. I think he got it right for the most part, but the cinematography is so spectacular that you can't help but notice the backdrops against which the scenes are set.
The acting performances in this picture are for the most part first rate: Guy Pearce plays the ambitious Edmund Exley to perfection, Russell Crowe is superb as tough guy detective Bud White, and Kevin Spacey (one of my favorite actors of all time) turns in a stellar performance as the hip narco detective who also acts as a consultant on a Dragnet-like TV series. Strong performances by James Cromwell, Ron Rifkin, and the ubiquitous David Strathairn round out the picture. Although I liked Kim Basinger, I thought she was cast more for her look than for her acting skills. She played the role of a Veronica-lake lookalike prostitute quite well, but hers didn't look like a performance any other competent actress couldn't have pulled off.
The DVD version of this picture is more full of features than any other title I've owned thus far. It includes a documentary about the making of the film which includes cast interviews and clips of Crowe's and Pearce's screen tests. There's also a location map that tells the viewer about each of the major locations where scenes were shot, cast bios, a promo for the soundtrack (featuring some very good early 50's jazz courtesy of Chet Baker and other artists of the era), and the movie can be played with just the soundtrack running. Be warned-the features that come in the DVD version take more time to watch as the movie. But it's well worth the time! "LA Confidential" sets a high standard in terms of what studios should include in DVD's of their pictures. Are you paying attention, Hollywood?
NEW VERSION DVD review....
Review Date: September 21, 2008
Reviewer: Richardson, Sunny California USA
Rather than review this amazing modern Noir...I just want to say..BUY this new version...it looks fabulous and the bonus features are PLENTIFUL and very meaty with content and the good news is they ALSO have brought over the features from the first release allowing all of us to dump that one and that isn't always the case. They also have a nearly 1 hr TV movie/pilot called LA CONFIDENTIAL starring Keifer Sutherland which is fun. There is also a bonus CD disc of music which is icing on the cake. I just spent a few hours watching all the bonus features and will absolutely watch them again ( a rarity) and as I said..the movie never looked better..I've only checked out a bit of the commentary which has a staggering number of contributors and should make another viewing of the movie with it running a fun trip indeed. WB does it well when they re-issue and not just with the sexy new cover image ..this baby got a complete overhaul...
enjoy!
A Complex and Absorbing Thriller!
Review Date: May 7, 2005
Reviewer: Mark Twain, www.chismetime.com
Manohla Dargis, a film critic for The New York Times and former editor for the L.A. Weekly film section, presented L.A. Confidential, one of her favorite movies, for the Cal State Northridge Cinemateque Critics Series, where I saw this film a few weeks ago. The film was followed by an insightful Q & A between Dargis and David Kipen, a book critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, and continued with answers to questions from members of the audience.
As mentioned by Dargis, L.A. Confidential was released in 1997 to huge critical acclaim. It went on to be nominated for nine Academy Awards and is now considered a key film for the 90s. In fact, in answer to a question from an audience member, Dargis feels that had Titanic been released another year, L.A. Confidential would have garnered all the major awards of 1997. Although it didn't, it is still widely regarded as one of the best movies of that year.
Based on the novel by James Ellroy, the film is a dark and gritty noir set in 1950s Los Angeles and deals with police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. The seemingly idyllic Los Angeles of the early 1950s provides the glitzy backdrop for the grisly crime that is the focus of the story: a bloody shotgun slaying of the patrons at an all-night diner. One of the victims was Dick Stensland, a subpar police officer forced into retirement after a drunken brutality incident not long before his death.
Heading the investigation are three very different cops. Stensland's former partner, Wendell "Bud" White (Russell Crowe), a man willing to break the rules to seek justice; Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), an ambitious but naive golden boy who is willing to do almost anything to get ahead; and Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), a slick operator who collaborates with a celebrity magazine to insure high-profile arrests.
What follows is a powerful and stylish mystery with an ever-twisting plot that continually surprises the audience without insulting its intelligence. The compelling blend of L.A. history and pulp fiction makes for an intense and fascinating film that definitely deserved more audience attention than it got.
This is my second viewing of the film, but my first as a student of film. With Dargis' commentary following the feature, I now have a deeper appreciation for this unique motion picture and liked it even more upon second viewing. A rich and complex mystery full of astonishing performances (including an Oscar for Kim Basinger's supporting role), this will definitely be remembered as a landmark film for the 90's. Its comparisons to Chinatown are inevitable. This is modern noir at its finest.
Dark Noir in Bright Daylight
Review Date: June 13, 2005
Reviewer: Bobby Underwood, Manly NSW, Australia
This was the best film made in '97 but like Polanski's "Chinatown" it is destined to become one of the finest movies not to take the Oscar home. Curtis Hanson took James Ellroy's novel, a book many doubted could be translated to the film medium, and co-wrote one of the finest adapted screenplays ever done. He then brought on board a couple of Aussie unknowns, a gorgeous star who had never lived up to her potential, added perhaps the finest actor working today, and began filming one of the darkest noir films of all time, in sun drenched daylight.
The end result is a dark and twisted tale of personal redemption told against the backdrop of the bright lights and sunshine of Hollywood in the early 1950's. Hanson contrasts the brightly lit exteriors with the dark storyline of police corruption and Hollywood decadence. This is a movie about facade, not just Hollywood's but our own personal facade as well.
Russell Crowe became a star as Detective Bud White, a tough cop willing to do whatever is necessary, something the political up and comer Guy Pearce finds archaic about the force and wants to change. What may stop him from doing so is his investigation of the murder of several people at "The Night Owl" cafe, one of whom is Crowe's partner, who recently "retired" after a well publicized jail brawl christened "Bloody Christmas" by the papers.
Crowe and Pearce come at this from different angles but the road for both leads right to beautiful Kim Basinger and a millionaire in the lush Hollywood hills played by David Strathairn. There is a reason Basinger looks a little like Veronica Lake the first time we see her in this film; she's supposed to. Hollywood legend has it that a string of expensive call girls were cut to look like stars during the 1940's and early 1950's and Hanson has made this darker side of Hollywood part of the story. Basinger is one of the lucky ones; close enough to the actual look of Veronica Lake not to have been cut on.
Crowe falls for the real girl inside Basinger, but in spite of her opulent lifestyle, her low self-esteem comes to the forefront when she sleeps with Pearce in an attempt to "help" Crowe. We realize as she nearly destroys Crowe by doing so that she perceives herself as a whore on the inside, beneath the facade. Her logic is as twisted and tainted as the corruption Crowe and Pierce are about to uncover as they follow the trail linking Basinger's boss Strathairn to the Night Owl killings and the vice surrounding them on every side.
Basinger may have garnered the Oscar for her role, but Crowe's performance as the tough cop with some soft spots after all is something you'll always remember. The coolest job done here, however, is by Kevin Spacey. Hanson told him before filming began to think Dean Martin and he'd have it down pat. Spacey did just that, playing the ultra cool cop, the one in the tabloids for his Hollywood connections. He is a consultant on the TV show "Badge of Honor" (think Dragnet) and is hooked up with slimy but likeable Danny DeVito, a writer for a Hollywood tabloid. Spacey grabs the spotlight and DeVito gets the headlines as Spacy collars Hollywood stars in compromising situations, DeVito's camera flashing.
Spacey seemingly has it all, but like the rest of this film, it is just a facade. While sitting in a bar listening to Dean Martin in the background he looks up into the mirror behind the counter and doesn't like what is staring back at him. He has all the tools to be a great cop but he knows he has sold his soul for the fifty in front of him. He becomes involved in the case because of a murder in a hotel room he feels responsible for that leads right back to the Night Owl, and hooks up with Pearce to redeem his soul. You will never forget the name "Rollo Tomasi" or what it means for Pearce, and ultimately Spacey in this film.
Adding to the atmosphere more than just a little is the score by Jerry Goldsmith, his finest work since "Chinatown" and just as haunting. It does more than help enhance the atmosphere, it truly is the atmosphere of this one of a kind masterpiece. This film has the kind of ending dreams are made of and someone (I won't give it away) holding up their badge to the oncoming rush of cop cars in the Hollywood hills at night is a scene you'll never forget.
There is not a bad performance in this film. It is complex and riveting. If you haven't seen this before, don't rent it, buy it. You'll watch it over and over. But don't tell anyone. This is Off the Record, On the QT, and Very Hush Hush!
Blu-ray specific review
Review Date: February 22, 2009
Reviewer: R.D. Monsoon,
THIS REVIEW IS OF THE BLU-RAY RELEASE
Since the LA Confidential has been reviewed and discussed at great length since it came out over a decade ago, this review will focus on the technical aspects of the Blu-ray release.
Video Quality: The picture quality is demo material. The best thing I can say about it, is that it looks like a 35mm film is being projected on my TV. The image is very clean and sharp, by retains the texture of film. Colors especially looks as they do on film. Overall, the picture is night and day better than the original DVD release. Retail stores should be using a comparison between these two releases to promote Blu-ray.
Audio Quality: I'm not thrilled with the sound. In the Dolby 5.1 mix, and especially the Dolby TrueHD, the sound levels and bass of the sound effects have been turned up extremely high. While this gives your audio system a good workout -- friends have complimented how "cinematic" my speakers sound when watching this disc -- I frankly find it annoying. Every time a door is shut or someone is punched, it sounds like someone is whacking a bass drum. Automatic guns sounds more like an anti-aircraft guns.
Special Features: WB has included a slew of new special features, most of them weighed towards the actors. I didn't really find them all that substantive. What's missing is a commentary by or lengthy interview with Curtis Hanson. He is the genius behind the film after all.
If you like LA Confidential, this is a mandatory purchase for the fantastic picture quality.
A Modern-Day Classic
Review Date: May 1, 2000
Reviewer: ,
L.A. Confidential is that good. In the echelons of all-time great film noirs, this belongs next to Chinatown and The Big Sleep.
All of the traditional elements of a noir are here -- a gorgeous femme fatale, tough guys in sharp suits, fist fights, shoot-outs, moral ambivalence, and a surprise ending. However, this film also works to update the old prototype of noirs -- it takes place in the early 1950's (as opposed to the 1930's) and deals with homosexuality and drug use and other contemporary issues in a way that few noirs have ever done.
Russel Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, Danny Devito, Kim Basinger, and James Cromwell make up one of the best ensemble casts I've ever seen in a film. Not only are they all good actors, but each of their characters are unique and original. The screenplay is an excellent adaptation of James Ellroy's novel, and Curtis Hanson, who had previously worked as a film critic, did a masterful job building the tension to a gripping shootout in an abandoned motel.
Watching this film in the theater, I was struck by the film's attention to detail. When Characters in the movie shoot a gun, it sounds as if bullets are flying over your head in the audience, and the camera-work and framing heightens the suspense by betraying Hollywood conventions.
The best film of 1997. Titanic's popularity robbed L.A. Confidential of its Oscar.
Great Film Noir
Review Date: February 9, 2000
Reviewer: Michael J. Berquist, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA
I saw "LA Confidential" wondering what all of the hoopla was about. At the end of the movie I was really surprised at how much I liked this movie, a tale of three LA detectives unraveling a murder mystery in 1950s Los Angeles.
Based on the James Ellroy novel, "LA Confidential" is written and directed by Curtis Hanson, a terrifically talented writer and director. Hanson dives the audience right into the story, engrossing us in the story from the outset. His vision of LA in the 50's feels real- no rose-colored looks at 1950s America here. The crooks are violent, the cops either corrupt or (mostly) well-intentioned, and all is not well in paradise. Los Angeles may be paradise, but there is sure trouble in it.
Give Hanson credit for casting too. The cast is terrific- James Cromwell (one of my favorite actors), Kim Basinger, Kevin Spacey (another one of my favorites), Danny DeVito, David Strathairn, and newcomers Guy Pierce and Russell Crowe are outstanding. Crowe in particular does an outstanding job, taking a character that seems at first glance to be a big thug and making him into a complex hero.
Everything else about "LA Confidential" is right on the money. Film noir at its finest.
A well written, finely directed mystery
Review Date: May 31, 2000
Reviewer: C. E. Miles, O'Fallon, IL United States
I must admit that I tend to enjoy movies where the hero or heroine is not all "good". Such is the case with L.A. Confidential. No film was hurt more by the popularity of "Titanic" in 1997 than this one. Lost in the wake of the doomed ocean liner were fine performances across the board. The sets and costumes, along with a terrific screenplay draw you into 1950's Hollywood, a place filled with murder, greed and lust. The story is that of three Police detectives all working different angles of the same case, all for very different reasons. Bud White (Russell Crowe) for revenge, Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) for self-promotion, and Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) for the sake of ego. Kim Bassinger proves worthy of her Oscar winning performance as Lynn Bracken, the high priced prostitute caught in the middle. Rounding out the cast are two of the best character actors around. James Cromwell (probably the best actor who's name you don't know) is perfect as the street hardened Captain Dudley Smith. Danny Devito also stars as the sleazy tabloid reporter who will do anything to get a story. Spacey and Crowe are excellent as the veteran cops well at ease with the corruption that seems to fill every corner of the city. Pearce is just as good as the brash young detective determined to get ahead no matter what it takes. The writing, direction and acting are all superb in "L.A. Confidential", and it will keep you guessing though each and every turn, and will also keep you entertained.
L.A. Landmarks, Notorious Gangsters, Make for Great Noir
Review Date: December 17, 2002
Reviewer: L. Shirley, fountain valley, ca United States
This review refers to the Special Edition Warner Bros DVD....
Famous landmarks of Los Angeles,notorious gangsters of the past, and a classic TV series combine with a great fictional tale of murder, police corruption and romance for one terrific modern film noir.
Set in the early 50's, when Los Angeles was still a town growing up,a drug lord, a bloody multiple murder dubbed "The Night Owl Murders",a rape case, and a millionaire running a prostitution racket are all under investigation. Three detectives, all with their own personal ambitions, with the help of a sleezy tabloid writer,and a beautiful prostitute, find their paths crossing at several junctures of the investigation. Everyone seems to be connected and all roads lead to a surprising and horrifying discovery.I'll leave the story at that so as not to give away to much of this intricate mystery.
The characters are enthralling and bigger than life. Get involved with Bud White(Russell Crowe), the strong arm detective who is useful in beating confessions out of prisoners.He also has a big problem with anyone who may abuse women. Jack Vincennes(Kevin Spacey), the detective who is all about what's in it for him.He is the technical advisor for a Dragnet like TV show, and is all show himself.Ed Exley(Guy Pearce), the seemingly mild mannered detective, but will do what it takes to get ahead.The Veronica Lake look alike prostitute(Kim Basinger), the sleezy tabloid writer(Danny Devito), the harsh Chief of Detectives(James Cromwell) and the mysterious millioniare(David Strathairn) will all keep you involved as well.
Also very much part of the plot are actual people, places and events of historical importance to the time and setting. Mickey Cohen, notorious drug kingpin,The "Bloody Christmas" fiasco, The "Formosa Cafe"(built in 1929 and sits across from Goldwyn Studios, frequented by many movie stars in the past), Hollywood Blvd, and the Pantages Theatre(home of the Academy Awards in the 50's)just to name a few.
It's a great film all around. Especially for Noir and mystery lovers. It's got action,romance and an intriguing plot.Directed by Curtis Hanson who really takes you back to the L.A. of the 50's. The musical score by Jerry Goldsmith mixed with other songs of the era add to the feeling for the time and place.
The DVD can be viewed in English or French, both in the 5.1 Dolby Surround, which is fabulous.It is in wdiescreen on a dual layer format. I only noticed one ot two quick little pauses that the dual layer sometimes causes. It wasn't anything distracting from the film. The colors were beautiful and the picture clear and pleasing. There are some fun extras on this DVD. Navigate through the "Hush Hush Headliners" and you'll discover all kinds of goodies. There's a map tour of the film's key locations, there are some interviews with the cast and Curtis Hanson that are real informative, and you can isolate the score if desired. Plus much more(see tech info for complete list). All in all a great DVD. If you already know you love this film, go for it!
Also recommended for more great modern noir with a great cast including Joe Pesci and Barbara Hershey check out:Public Eye
And if you spot a good deal you can also get this one in a great two-pack:L.A. Confidential - Special Edition / The Usual Suspects (Special Edition) (2 Pack)
"So remember Dear Readers, You heard it here first. Off the record, On the Q.T. and Very...HUSH HUSH..."(Danny Devito)....Laurie
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Modern noir at its finest.
