This is Strictly L.A. Confidential!

I'm not sure what aligned in the heavens for this to happen, but for the past few weeks everywhere I've turned I've seen images or read mention or heard about Curtis Hanson's 1997 L.A. Confidential everywhere. Whoever was trying to send me a message, I just want them to know I got it. As should be evident, I watched said movie today. As usual I had no idea what this movie was about, and only slight knowledge as to who starred in it. Other than the beautiful Kim Basinger I had never really paid attention to who else was in it. Once again, a fair size cast was here to greet me when I started it up. Hit the jump and I'll give you all the details, real hush-hush.


The story is simple enough when you boil it down. A cop drama filled with corruption and drug deals and the seedy side of Los Angeles lifestyles. The movie opens up to the voice of Danny DeVito selling the virtues and wondrous opportunities of Los Angeles, only to then reveal the crime and corruption underneath it all. Turns out this voice belongs to Sid Hudgens, a news/magazine publisher who is all about getting the scoops on crime busts and even sets up celebrities and tips off the cops himself to get a good photo.

Kim Basinger is the femme fatale in this story, only without the fatale part

I found the story a little meandering for quite a while until events start developing well into the movie. Just some very basic cases and some character development that ultimately seemed kind of pointless. In fact it wasn't until about 2/3 into the movie that anything beyond a seemingly basic dinner murder really started to happen. I guess I was supposed to be entertained solely by the almost noir-esque cop drama and attitudes than want things to happen in the plot.

Honestly it's the cold crime cop stereotypes that make this movie stand out at all. I'm not going to bother with all the character's names as there's so many, and also I don't really care enough to bother. Kevin Spacey, Russel Crowe and Guy Pearce are all L.A. cops that want success in their own way. Spacey is more interested in the fame he gets from the police tv show he helps on the side. Crowe is basically just a tough guy who dreams of working real cases as a detective, and Pearce is more concerned with his title and getting ahead than actually getting justice done. For most of the movie, they're all doing they're own little cases, but it eventually turns out their cases are all part of a bigger picture. They each learn their lessons and become better cops for it. Also James Cromwell is their police Captain with the terrible Irish accent. I just wanted to mention that. His accent was really, really terrible.

Crowe and Pearce, on the case!

At least I can say that it had some gun battles that were pretty good. There were only 2 main ones that I can remember, but they were pretty intense. Luckily one of them was at the end, allowing the movie to end on a high note. But honestly, it took so long to get anywhere in this movie, I'm kinda surprised it seems to have the fan following that it has. I think a lot of it is probably nostalgia, because in my opinion a lot of cop/crime movies have come out since L.A. Confidential and been much better. Unless you really LOVE cop movies, I wouldn't bother with this movie. I found myself left wanting in the end.

If anyone reading has seen this, leave what you thought of this movie in the comments, I'd like to hear why I'm supposed to love this film so much?