A film where corrupt policemen run the city and movie stars are all the rage. Racism is alive and well in this 1950s based film. The police force is buckling down on everyone for just about any and everything involving illegal activity.
LA Confidential is a movie filled with drama and a roller coaster plot filled with twists and turns.There is a good cop turned lieutenant trying to avenge his father’s honor, the crooked cops in the station, and an emotional good cop with bad tendencies. A promiscuous aspiring actress played by Kim Basinger, will do anything to make it to the top even if that includes a scandalous romance with a few of the men on the force.
This movie was a pretty wild one. It was entertaining especially with the rising plots and multiple twists and dark humor. The cops were just as bad as the criminals they were knocking down. The vulgarity such as profanity, drugs, sex, and abuse were all the key elements that made this film so engaging. I appreciated much of the emphasis on minority brutality because it emphasized the time period in which the film was taking place which made the film feel real.
This Hollywood setting had a few backstories like any other dramatic film. Sergeant Exley, played by Guy Pearce, was all about integrity which landed him the promotion of lieutenant. His main goal was to maintain his father’s reputation of being the best in the LAPD force. I really enjoyed Exley’s character because he was the most genuine and what the best for this team. However, he landed in hot water after engaging in sexual activity with the striving actress, Lynn Bracken. This is where the plot really took off for me because Bracken was Sgt. Jack Vincennes lady companion, played by Kevin Spacey. The two men brawled over the woman in which led Vincennes to confront Bracken and hit her in an ironic twist of which his very own mother use to get physically abused by his father.
I felt these backstories were pretty important because they were the base of the entire film. In the beginning of the film, you can see Spacey’s character continuously keeping watch on women he assumes are in danger. Later, we discover the truth of his heroism that leads to his irony of a decision. The director, Curtis Hanson, did his best to portray these backstories to make it comprehensive for the audience. However, I found myself rewinding a few scenes to keep up with characters and their relevancy.
For a film that came out in the late 90s, I was just as engaged as if it came out this very year. Each role the actors played were strong and I felt like I was watching real historical events take place. I really enjoyed the movie star references that were made such as the similarity in appearance between Lynn Bracken and the actual 1950s movie star, Veronica Lake. Bracken may have only been a prostitute but the costume designers did a great job on the resemblance between the two and their styles.
The amount of detail placed in the film was necessary but a bit overwhelming. The movie felt longer than needed and at one point, I started to feel the plot was moving in circles. Novel based movies always seem a bit longer which is necessary but with LA Confidential, I felt as if I was reading James Ellroy’s book word for word right down to epilogue.
The DVD includes special features such as an interactive map tour, the movie soundtrack, production notes, and a theatrical trailer. The DVD also includes cast interviews which was pretty entertaining because of the vintage feel. Russell Crowe’s character was one of his best performances and he discusses his point of view in the special features.
The overall movie was entertaining and suspenseful. I would recommend this film to anyone into vintage drama and crime plots. Also, I recommend the movie to an older crowd specifically because of the vulgar language and nudity.