L.A. Confidential (1997) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | L.A. Confidential (1997) |
| Director | Curtis Hanson |
| Screenplay Writer | Curtis Hanson, Brian Helgeland |
| Based on Novel by | James Ellroy |
| Lead Actors | Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce |
| Cast | Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Basinger, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, David Strathairn, Ron Rifkin |
| Genre | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| Release Date | September 19, 1997 (United States) |
| Duration | 2h 18m (138 minutes) |
| Budget | ~$35 million |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | ~$126.2 million |
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Summary
James Ellroy’s epic noir novel is adapted by the guy that directed Losin’ It and the writer of 976 Evil and A Knight’s Tale. It’s brilliant.
Review
Once upon a time, Hollywood knew how to make crime flicks that didn’t depend on Mel Gibson, exploding toilets, and kung-fu. The idea of adapting James Ellroy’s brilliant, brutal novel of corruption in the LAPD during the 1950s must have seemed almost quaint in an era full of explosions and CGI, but everyone involved in this movie rises up to the challenge and meets it quite handily, which is a surprise when you look at the credentials of the screenwriter and director.
What I really appreciate about this movie is how it keeps the tone and intent of the source material without being slavishly bound to it (yes, I’m looking at the first two Harry Potter movies when I say that.) This means that we get an excellent two hour film instead of a bloated three-hour picture that misses the point by trying too hard to go down every path and subplot. All of the actors are top-notch, with Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe both handling their roles well and James Cromwell doing an outstanding job and Guy Pearce making his Hollywood debut, acquiting himself quite well. The beautifully-shot Kim Basinger, for once, failed to cause me to wish I could bludgeon her with a blunt object to get some real emotion and even Danny DeVito gets some love from me as a tabloid reporter.
If you liked The Godfather and other epic dramas, then I can’t recommend this highly enough. Not enough people have seen what was the best picture of 1997.
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