L.A. Confidentialfrom IMBD
Cast:
Kevin Spacey ... Det. Sgt. Jack Vincennes
Russell Crowe... Officer Wendell 'Bud' White
Guy Pearce... Det. Lt. Edmund Jennings 'Ed' Exley
James Cromwell... Capt. Dudley Liam Smith
Kim Basinger... Lynn Margaret Bracken
David Strathairn... Pierce Morehouse Patchett
Danny DeVito... Sid Hudgens
Graham Beckel... Det. Sgt. Richard Alex 'Dick' Stensland
Paul Guilfoyle... Meyer Harris 'Mickey' Cohen
Ron Rifkin ...Dist. Atty. Ellis Loew
Matt McCoy... Brett Chase
Paolo Seganti... Johnny Stompanato
Sandra Taylor... Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner
Steve Rankin... Officer Arresting Mickey Cohen
Elisabeth Granli... Mickey Cohen's Mambo Partner
Plot summary:
1950's Los Angeles is the seedy backdrop for this intricate noir-ish tale of police corruption and Hollywood sleaze. Three very different cops are all after the truth, each in their own style: Ed Exley, the golden boy of the police force, willing to do almost anything to get ahead, except sell out; Bud White, ready to break the rules to seek justice, but barely able to keep his raging violence under control; and Jack Vincennes, always looking for celebrity and a quick buck until his conscience drives him to join Exley and White down the one-way path to find the truth behind the dark world of L.A. crime. Written by Greg Bole {bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu}
LA in the 50's: someone's killing imprisoned mob boss Mickey Cohen's gang. The police, led by Captain Dudley, convince wiseguys from Jersey, Cleveland, and elsewhere to go home. Rich developer, Pierce Patchett, runs a stable of high-class hookers who are ringers for movie stars. The plot to replace Cohen blindsides three plainclothes cops: White watched his father beat his mother to death then vanish, he punishes abusers with quick violence; Exley's father was a hero cop killed mysteriously, he seeks justice by the book; Vicennes, a clothes horse, consults for a Dragnet-like TV show. Will they escape corruption and murder, will they find their own morality? Written by {jhailey@hotmail.com}
Three detectives in the corrupt and brutal L.A. police force of the 1950s use differing methods to uncover a conspiracy behind the shotgun slayings of the patrons at an all-night diner in this lush tribute to tough film noir crime films. Based on the multi-layered James Ellroy novel. Written by Keith Loh {keith@mwg.com}
L.A. Confidential [Blu-ray]Directed by Curtis Hanson
Average customer review:
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #49 in DVD
- Released on: 2008-09-23
- Rating: R (Restricted)
- Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
- Formats: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Original recording remastered, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Original language: English
- Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
- Dubbed in: Spanish
- Number of discs: 1
- Running time: 137 minutes
Amazon.com essential video
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
Customer Reviews
NEW VERSION DVD review....
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!
Dark + Suspenseful + Twisted + Unexpected turns = One of the best suspense movies of all times
This move is dark, suspenseful, twisted with quite a few unexpected turns. It's one of the best suspense movies of all times. The acting and directing are convincing and gripping. This is one of the best films of Kim Basinger. I don't like her acting in most other films
Superbly cast modern Film Noir
"L.A. Confidential" - a classic modern Film Noir - depicts a 1950s Los Angeles riddled with corruption and vice, where no-one can be trusted. Bud White (Russell Crowe) and Ed Exley (Guy Pearce) two "clean" cops with totally contrasting approaches to their work take a stand. Writer/Director Curtis Hanson and Co-Screenwriter Brian Helgeland superbly capture the flavour of the period. The casting is perfect right down to the small roles - and it is ironic that two Australian actors playing the "good" cops should work so well in this most American of genres.
