Rating: 
Summary: I've seen better from everyone
Review: L.A. Confidential was a good movie, but it wasn't great. Kevin Spacey is always good, but you'll see better Spacey roles in K-PAX, American Beauty, The Usual Suspects, Seven, Outbreak, and pretty much ANYTHING else with him! He certainly wasn't bad in L.A. Confidential, he just didn't stand out so much. Russell Crowe was fine in this as well. He has certainly improved his performance though with The Insider, Gladiator, and A Beautiful Mind. Guy Pearce was great in this, and he delivered the finest performance of the film. His better roles are Memento and The Count of Monte Cristo. Danny DeVito was his typical self. He is never a let down, but his better roles range from Matilda to Batman Returns to Hoffa. And then there's Kim Basinger. I LOVE Kim Basinger, but I have absolutely no idea why she won an Academy Award for this. I would have thought that this was one of her worse performances. Watch anything else with her, and her acting will stand out more than this! She was up against Minnie Driver's performance in Good Will Hunting for the award, and Driver was far more deserving of the award. Don't get me wrong, L.A. Confidential was a fine movie with fine performances, it just was not Oscar-worthy in any way. It wasn't amazing. It isn't a kid movie, and its R rating reflects violence, language, and some brief sexual images. This was fine to watch once.
Rating: 
Summary: Stunning performances, an awesome script
Review: What do you get when Hollywood heavyweights like Kevin Spacey, Russel Crowe, Dani DeVito, James Cromwell and Guy Pearce combine forces and get involved in a movie with an excellent script? An instant hit movie, that's what.Set in a 1950's surrounding, the movie shows LA's finest, the LAPD, as it once was. Corrupt, and struggling to make it's city a safer place of residence for it's citizens. After a shootout at a restaurant in which Bud White's (Crowe) ex-partner is killed, the LAPD quickly busts a couple of black kids for it, who manage to escape, and in turn get shot by Edmund Exley (Pearce) who becomes the city's hero. Gradually, though, they find out that the three kids were in fact not related to the shooting, and they become entangled in a web of intrigue involving a rich millionaire running an escort service with girls who resemble moviestars. White ends up with one of those, Lyn Bracken (Played by Kim Basinger, who got an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the part), while Exley sides with Sergeant Jack Vincennes (Spacey), an officer who is mostly interested in getting some fame on a TV-show, and who is 'fed' stories by a sleazy reporter (DeVito). Though friction exists between all of them, they somehow are dealing with cases that are connected to one another, and they soon find out that in order to unravel the big picture, they will have no choice but to cooperate. The many plot-twists will make sure that for a long time the viewer will be kept guessing as to who-dunnit, and the characters were wonderfully cast. It's the classic story of bad-cop turns good-cop and vice versa, but with an unpredictable end. The actors all show amazing performances, and you cannot help but feel sympathetic for some, and loathsome towards others. All in all, it's well worth the view!
Rating: 
Summary: Read the book. In fact, read American Tabloid too!
Review: What Ellroy does best is capture the profane, racist, woman hating ...world of the 1950's and now, the 60's. Anyone who revealed the truths of today as effectively would be....well...toast. James, wisely, sticks to history. While there is a healthy (and richly deserved) audience for Ellroy's books, there is, apparently, no audience for Ellroy on film. (Or no one willing to try.) What we get instead is Ellroy lite. The characters Ellroy so colourfully portrays are simply lost, shorn of the very nasty, candidly expressed views and values that make the book such a revelation. If you haven't read Ellroy you might not notice, but if you have, you're gonna be thinkin "Freakin Disney!" (Notice: No Ellroy dialog used here. It would simply not be allowed.)
PS: Is there an ongoing discussion of the possible accuracy of the events in "American Tabloid" going on anywhere on the Net? ...
Rating: 
Summary: Highly disappointed.
Review: Having never seen this film at the time of its release, I was very eager to view the DVD based on the rave reviews and spectacular cast. As the plot unwound, I became particularly disappointed in the lack of depth of the characters, the trite dialogue, and the predictability of the story (Guess what, there's a shoot-out at the end). The only element of the film worthy of praise was the performance by Guy Pierce (his character predictably torn between a squeaky-clean image and the corruption and violence around him). The dismal script can summarized in the deadpan voice from another lackluster Kim Bassinger performance, "Some guys get the world, and others get the ex-hooker and a trip to Arizona."
Rating: 
Summary: A virtual re-edit--massacre of a Brilliant film--SEE on VHS
Review: Don't misunderstand me--this movie IS the tour de force that others have expounded on here already--and I love it as much as anyone, ranking it right up there with Chinatown as an L.A. film noir classic. But you will NOT see the movie Curtis Hanson made if you watch this widescreen DVD edition!! I have watched this movie countless times on videotape and so I was SHOCKED to find that the DVD noticably detracted from what this film is! Though the back of the DVD case details "WIDESCREEN VERSION Presented in a "letterbox" widescreen format preserving the SCOPE ASPECT RATIO of its original theatrical exhibition", I did NOT find this to be true (and I am no newcomer to widescreen format). Shots that had appeared as medium shots on video have become head shots--people are now out of frame--this is a CHANGED film! --and WEIRD things also occur with the soundtrack! Dialogue is mixed at a noticably lower level relative to background and peripheral noises that are overly augmented. I have to say, it boggles my mind that watching this movie in the "newest and most improved" format has, for the first time, left me feeling like I watched 2 entirely different movies. There is an artistic freedom being threatened here by what is ultimately a revisionist medium, the implications of which are truly frightening--and oddly parallel to current world events. In all fairness, I haven't even gotten to the special features, and maybe this DVD is worth having for those rarities themselves, I don't know. But if you have never watched this extraordinary film, I beg you, SEEK IT OUT ON VHS! or you will miss the experience. If you love this film already, be prepared for a letdown with this one.
Rating:
Summary: Classic Made in and about the place "where ideas go to die"
Review: "L.A. Confidential" is one of the best American films of the 1990s. Everything about it is first rate, primarily the skillful direction and excellent casting choices of the leads (Crowe in particular stands out as the rage-filled & brutal scourge of woman-beaters). The script draws parallels both overt and subtle between the illusions of Tinseltown and the P.R. machine of the L.A.P.D. which loom more heinous as the story progresses. Like "Chinatown", ever-deeper layers of corruption are serendipitously then methodically uncovered involving heroin traffic, black-market porn, highway contracts, prostitution, extortion, and murder.
Rating:
Summary: Rip-snorter.
Review: Until this film hit the silver screen, James Ellroy's books were famously (and quite understandably) considered to be unfilmable: they're so epic in scope and byzantine in plot they would make filming a Tolkien trilogy seem like a doddle. But records and rules were made to be broken, and this film version of Ellroy's LA Confidential shatters that conventional wisdom and brings Ellroy's vision vivdly to the screen. It's a top-notch cast into the bargain; while headlines may go to Bassinger as femme fatale, Pearce and Crowe and rookie cops at the centre of the maelstrom, make sure you keep an eye on the surrounding cast - to my mind this is really what gives the film its zip and zing. James Cromwell - yes, the kindly farmer from Babe - avoids the danger of being typecast in that role, to say the least, as a truly dastardly police commander; Kevin Spacey is all satin and schwing as the smooth-talking celebrity cop Jack Vincennes, but crowning the whole shooting match (a term I use deliberately), and more than anything infusing the movie with Ellroy's hipster '50s attitude and credibility is none other than Danny de Vito, having the time of his life as the editor of Hush Hush Magazine. This is a really, really slick show, from beginning to end. Where Curtis Hanson has been especially canny is in paring down some of the excesses of Ellroy's plotting (it has always struck me as odd that a writer with such a deliberately sparse, stacatto, writing style gets so carried away with his plots) so as not to tax credulity or the "Oh Come On" factor, and has landed up with a tense, riveting, brutal, but at the same time knowing and witty, thriller. This is a must for any fan of modern cinema.
Rating:
Summary: L.A. Landmarks, Notorious Gangsters, Make for Great Noir
Review: 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! "So remember Dear Readers, You heard it here first. Off the record, On the Q.T. and Very...HUSH HUSH..."(Danny Devito)....Laurie
Rating:
Summary: Great cast+great script+great director = CLASSIC FILM NOIR
Review: LA Confidential is an utterly engrossing look into the seamy side of the 1940's "City of Dreams". All the actors are brilliant, especially Crowe, Pearce, Spacey, and Basinger in the lead roles. And James Cromwell is just dynamite as Captain Dudley Smith. But the real star of this film is the fantastic screenplay, as well as the great cinematography and direction. Curtis Hanson and crew have created a modern masterpiece. Any fan of film noir, detective movies, or just great filmmaking should see LA Confidential immediately.
Rating:
Summary: The picture of 1997
Review: LA Confidential was the best picture of 1997. It is also one of the finest films of the decade and a quintessential descendent of the American film noir period. Walking in the footsteps of "The Big Sleep" and "Kiss Me Deadly", this fast-paced movie offers a great story, atmosphere and superb ensemble cast. Set against the backdrop of Los Angeles during the 1950's, the cinematography magnificently evokes the images of that period better than any other film in recent memory. The story begins with crime boss Mickey Cohen being sent up the river, which creates a power struggle to takeover his rackets. Three detectives, Lieutenant Edmond Exley (played by Guy Pearce), Officer Bud White (played by Russell Crowe), and Sergeant Jack Vincennes (portrayed by Kevin Spacey), are all drawn into a complex web of murder and corruption. By way of a beautifully written script, the trio eventually intersects on the same "Night Owl Murder" case and begin working together in spite of their differences; and, in the case of Exley and White, their intense hatred for one another. Each scene links together well and what unfolds is a vastly rewarding story of honor, redemption, sacrifice and friendship. The cast is outstanding, with star making performances by Pearce and Crowe and an Oscar winning performance by Kim Basinger as Lynn Bracken, the hooker with the heart of gold. Kevin Spacey lends his enormous talents as Jack Vicennes, the crooked cop that longs to go straight. James Cromwell also deserves special mention for bringing terrific nuance to his role as the sociopath, Captain Dudlely Smith. Curtis Hanson adeptly directed this groundbreaking film that at the time sported no big name stars. It demonstrates how refreshing Hollywood can be when new faces create memorable films.
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