L.A. Confidential (1997)
Starring: Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito, David Strathairn
Hollywood, L.A. and Vegas, that is what everyone dreams of achieving one day. The flamboyant lifestyle, the money and the riches. However, all that is shining on the surface is always dark on the inside. The movie shows the life of 3 police officers of the LAPD and their involvement with organised crime. Officer Bud White (Crowe) is a plain-clothes officer who fights for crimes against women. A new recruit in the department, Ed Exley (Pearce) is the son of a famous LAPD officer who intends to live up to his fathers reputation. Jack Vincennes (Spacey) works for the anti-narcotics department and is a movie star amongst the cops. He rubs shoulders with film personalities and receives tips from The Hush-Hush magazine for providing information about big celebrity arrests. Ed and Bud cross paths when Ed's testimony against Bud's partner leads to his partners' removal from the department. A violent mass murder takes place at the Nite Owl coffee shop that Ed starts investigating. The investigation starts revealing the filthy under-belly of the LAPD which involves sex, crime, drugs, hookers and money. The movie is a gripping tale of crime and mystery which keeps you entertained and glued till the very last moment. The performances have been fabulous across the board with every character developing a unique personality for themselves. A must-watch if you love a good crime movie set in the rolling '50s.
Thumbs up: Fabulous plot
Thumbs down: An extended run time
Rating: 8.8/10