L.A. Confidential

Rating:
Summary: If there is one DVD title you must own, this is it!
Review: If there is one title in your DVD collection you must own, L.A. Confidential is that title. First off, the story is terrific. This movie was denied it's rightful title of best picture by that sinking ship of a movie, Titanic. The story is twisted and after you're done, you have to watch it all over again to catch everything you missed the first time. Second, this is the DVD that you can show off to your friends to sell them on what a great technology that DVD is. Several behind the scenes featurettes. Multiple trailers. And the ultra-cool map of L.A. with all the sites used in the movie thal you can jump between and see more about each one.

This feature-packed movie would be a bargain at twice the price. Instead, it's a steal! END

Rating:
Summary: Definitely an A-movie!
Review: I haven't seen a movie with such a great ensemble acting and executing a very good screenplay (no wonder it won the category not only the Academy Awards but also the different Critics' Awards). What I like the most is the way the twists and subplots were handled by the director in his story-telling. These two Australian actors did a very good job. Most of the elements of this film are simply good : cinematography, score and editing. This, a film noir at its best, is definitely among the best 5 films made in the 90's. END

Rating:
Summary: Silly Plot and Childish script
Review: Whew, what a stinker! This is one of those films that I was forced to fast-forward through many of the interminable boring scenes. Even Danny deVito was wasted in this bomb. Anyone past the intellectual age of 12 should do themselves a favor and watch something else. Is LA is your beat, then check out "To Live and Die in LA" or "LA Story" -- both excellent films. END

Rating:
Summary: One of the best movies ever.
Review: This is a great movie. It easily deserved the 1997 best picture academy award, and actually won for best original screenplay. The story is enthralling, with amazing plot twists and characters. It is easily worth the money. END

Rating:
Summary: The reason for a DVD player.
Review: If you were wondering why people should buy a DVD instead of VHS, watching this movie on DVD will show you. This DVD picture quality is as good as any other exceptfor maybe SEVEN, the best so far. But what makes this DVD great isall the special features that are associated with the disc. You can actually travel around the hollywood during the time of the movie and take a look at each location. The only thing that seems to be lacking is the use of a multiple angle feature. So far that has only been used by a DVD magazine Short Cinema (that encodes its semi-monthly magazine on the DVD) and of course the adult film industry. The 5.1 sound is used, but unlike most films that have action, it is not overused. Nothing is worse than having a small explosion in front of you vibrate to the back speakers for no reason. END

Rating:
Summary: Magnificent
Review: This is magnificent. A top notch cast throughout, Guy Pearce is a revelation, Russell Crowe (not my favourite) is just brilliant, James Cromwell is great. I could go on, so see this for yourself. The attention to detail is second to none, it's atmospheric, pacy, clever and, well, just brilliant.

Buy this today. You will not regret it.

Rating:
Summary: An Extraordinary movie
Review: Plot twists that initiate suspicions and later refute them, characters who epitomize classic stereotypes, and a carefully woven façade, which blankets the true story and is slowly peeled back by the classic tough guy, who looks into the past to uncover the truth: Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential is a perfect example of what is now described as "neo-noir," which exemplifies the genre's adaptation and appeal as the decades roll by. Beginning with a monologue by journalist Sid Hudgeons (Danny DeVito), L.A. Confidential details the crime world of a 1950's Los Angeles California as the "City of Angels" just begins to blossom into the place it is today. As the story progresses, the audience is introduced to a police Sergeant enamored with the silver screen and seemingly addicted to the high life, which he maintains through his work with the Hollywood tabloid writer, DeVito, and a Dragnet type television program. Then there is Officer Bud White (Russell Crowe), a known tough-guy, who goes head to head with Sgt. Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) - the son of a legend within the police department after he "rats" on fellow officers to further his political standing and sleeps with Crowe's girl, a look-alike prostitute, Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger). However, the three of these officers individually piece together parts of a conspiracy reaching into the upper tiers of the police station and after Pearce and Crowe become cognizant of the gravity of the situation, they join forces and bring down a large portion of the police force, including the Chief of Detectives (James Cromwell). Although Film Noir has already progressed past the point of the production of Film Noir parodies, this film and its success showed the enduring popularity of the genre. L.A. Confidential is, beyond any reasonable doubt, Film Noir. The male protagonist sifts through the past to uncover a departmental conspiracy, but falls in love with the "femme," who manipulates men to get what she wants and nearly gets her man killed. The story takes place in a developing Los Angeles racked with murders and organized crime and undercurrents of evil beneath the façade of glamour. Meticulously thought out shots filled with mirrors, shadows, closed frames, and other cinematic elements make all the underlying meanings jump out at the audience. Take, for example, the shot in which Exley stands behind the one-way mirror with the chief on the other side. In this shot, Exley is a faint reflection in the glass while the chief is clear and defined on the other side - perhaps implying that Exley's aspirations to become police chief and surpass his father's status through subterfuge haven't produced the desired effect. However, a few items do not fit the normal Film Noir mold. In the film there is more nudity and violence than any older noir film I have ever seen. This is probably a result of our society's desensitization to them and our need to be continually entertained. Also, the circular pattern present in films like Chinatown is not present in L.A. Confidential. In fact, the ending is actually happy - Crowe gets his girl, the corruption in the department is ended, Exley gets a medal, and everyone seems content. Though some aspects of the classic Film Noir film were omitted, the film still works within the genre and still construes similar values to the Noir Films of the 50's, 60's, and 70's. The convoluted relationship between love and money, the path to wealth, which also leads to death, and the dichotomy of reality and appearance are all still presented in the mysterious, slightly paranoid delivery of Hanson's masterfully fashioned movie. Although these items appealed to the post World War II world, they still draw modern audiences with these enduring themes. People still end up very unhappy, unloved, and sometimes dead because of their pursuit of money. With all the "Real Life" shows like "Survivor" and "Big Brother" and the booming sales of tabloids it's clear that people still wish to see what really happens as opposed to the sugar coated shell they are used to being shown. As our society has changed with the times, so have the movies from which we draw entertainment, but Film Noir has subsisted through adaptation and the themes, which pertain to every society. Like the literary classics, which are still read after centuries, these films give us a window into what our society was like - what appealed to the people of previous years, while bringing across values and themes which still pertain to and fascinate people of the future, the past and everything in between.

Rating:
Summary: Russel Crowe and GUY Pierce at their Best!!!
Review: I feel like i was one of the last people on Earth to see this movie. I finally saw it yesterday and i was blown away by the amazing performances by Guy Pierce, Russel Crowe, and Kevin Spacey. I especially like Russel Crowe's attitude in the movie, he plays a really tough cop (...). Guy Pierce plays as a cop too who rats some of his fellow officers in a police brutality event. L.A. Confidential is about a corrupt police prescient in the 1950's. A good story line with good quality action, especially from Russel Crowe. the ending has a good twist too. Might want to check this out!

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding piece of modern film-noir
Review: "L.A. Confidential" was the film that should've won Best Picture in 1997. Instead, "Titanic" eclipsed it and every other movie that year.
"L.A. Confidential" is mainly about a trio of detectives in early 1950's Hollywood. They are played by Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, and Guy Pearce. The local police captain (James Cromwell) and most of the other cops are rather corrupt. The three main detectives uncover various things, including a prostitution ring, drugs, blackmail, and murder. Kim Basinger won an Oscar for her role as a high-priced call girl. The plot is actually much more complex than I just described it, so don't take it too seriously.
I don't know how to say just how good this movie was. I couldn't find a single flaw with it. It was perfect. The performances, the script, the moody music, the cinematography, the editing, the sets--it all worked. "L.A. Confidential" is one of my favorite movies, and certainly of the best of the 1990's. The Academy chose "Titanic" over this? It just proves (once again) how dumb the Oscars really are.
If you want to see a perfect film, buy "L.A. Confidential."

Rating:
Summary: Film noir is alive and well
Review: Hollywood in the 1940s: The LAPD is primed to forge a prestigious, competent public image when the incarceration of crime kingpin Mickey Cohen provides the opportunity to rid LA of organized crime. Three officers symbolize the directions the department might take: Bud White (Russell Crowe), violent and flexible with his ethics; Ed Exley (Guy Pierce), a by-the-book opportunist; and Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey), plugged into the show business scene and eager to remain so. A massacre at a coffee shop starts a series of events that will offer each of these morally conflicted men a measure of redemption.

This film boasts a huge cast of characters and a complex storyline but never confuses. Director/co-screenwriter Curtis Hansen deserves high praise, as does his marvelous cast. This film has tremendous atmosphere and feels absolutely authentic. Highly recommended.