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Rating of
4/4
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memento_mori - wrote on 07/07/2013
'I wouldn't trade places with Edmund Exley right now for all the whiskey in Ireland.'
I'll say it: The movie is fantastic. It does everything correctly.
The story is about police corruption and investigation in the fifties, centering around three characters played by Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey and Guy Pearce respectively.
It's a very delicate topic, and can be done wrong easily, but here it succeeds with a passion.
I don't know where to begin. The acting of the trio is Oscar-worthy, and some of the dialogue they jump back and forth with is incredible. At times I believed that everything was natural and unscripted. This brilliant collection of actors just really knows how to read lines and make them seem authentic.
To me, the most important trait of this film is the group of …
Rating of
3.5/4
A Masterfully Spun Web of Corruption....
MovieAddict - wrote on 12/09/2012
It is the early 1950s, and the L.A. police department, rampant with corruption, tackles the sleazy underbelly of the city. The film focuses on three different types of cops, the brutal Officer Russell Crowe (as aggressive hothead Wendell "Bud" White who lives to beat confessions out of suspects and to punish woman beaters), aspiring Lieutenant Guy Pearce (as Edmund "Ed" Exley) who operates "by the book" and Sergeant Kevin Spacey (as Jack Vincennes) who derives great satisfaction from being the technical adviser on a popular TV cop show called "Badge of Honor".
All three actors turn in fine performances, along with Kim Basinger, (who won an Oscar for playing a prostitute who's a Veronica Lake look-alike), veteran Captain James Cromwell (as Dudley Smith), "Hush-Hush" tabloid reporter …
Rating of
4/4
L.A. Confidential review
Daniel Corleone - wrote on 02/07/2012
A story of Detectives, Wendell "Bud" White (Russell Crowe), Detective Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), and a Sergeant named Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce). Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito), publisher of Hush-Hush, a Hollywood sleaze magazine Lynn Margaret Bracken (Kim Basinger) are involved. Some fine quotes: Ed - "All I ever wanted was to measure up to my father." Loew - "C'mon, don't pull that good-cop bad-cop crap. I practically invented it."
The plot was brilliant and pace of the story was right. Its score, costumes and screenplay were endearing and fitting. Each character had its own personality and is likable to a fault. Definitely one of the best 90's multi-nominated film. Theme's of police corruption, loyalty and persistence were presented. L.A. Confidential is a wonderful crime …
Rating of
4/4
"L.A. Confidential" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 01/05/2012
Three detectives with very different agenda and motives unite to investigate the shooting death of an off duty cop, uncovering corruption and a conspiracy to take over organized crime. L.A. Confidential is set within the dichotomy that is Hollywood's surface glamour and underlying seediness, all of which is lapped up by the salacious media in the form of sleazy paparazzi Danny DeVito. Russell Crowe was the perfect casting choice for Bud White, a strong armed "detective" who is used as a mindless battering ram by his superiors but wants to become something more and Guy Pearce is similarly excellent as the straight arrow cop who is despised by his peers but consumed with ambition. The happy ending feels a little tacked on, but otherwise the entire cast is pretty much flawless and as the …
Rating of
3/4
Keeps One's Attention
Franz Patrick - wrote on 11/30/2008
This is a rich film that thrives on mood, character development, and storytelling. I feel like everyone is in this picture: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger, David Strathairn, Danny DeVito, Ron Rifkin, Simon Baker… and the list goes on. There’s definitely a hint of noir from the 1940’s and 1950’s that made me enjoy it that much more because I am fan of those kinds of films. Unlike most movies that use that time period, this one is so natural, that sometimes I forget that it is a period piece. Instead, I focused more on the story rather than the time period because I was curious about the real identity of the person who the cops are after. Just when you think you know who the target is, you are given a piece of information that will support …
