Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»1400. L.A. Confidential (1997)

    1400. L.A. Confidential (1997)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on July 1, 2016 130-139 mins, 1997, 8 - 10, Crime, Drama, Film-Noir, Jul 16, Movies Of 2016, Review, Thriller, United States
    8.0 A fantastic tribute to noir
    • Acting 8.1
    • Directing 8.0
    • Story 8.0
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe

    Director: Curtis Hanson

    Running Time: 138 mins


    L.A. Confidential is an American film about the years following the arrest of notorious gangster Mickey Cohen, and the efforts of a budding young detective to bring down police corruption during the Cohen era, along with a brutal former cop and a sleazy Hollywood drug buster.

    This may not be the most exciting mystery ever put to the big screen, but it’s still an enthralling and consistently entertaining watch. L.A. Confidential brings together a collection of fantastic performances along with a wonderful tribute to the best of film-noir, making it a must-see for any fans of the classic Hollywood genre. It may not be the most complex or unpredictable story, but it’s without a doubt fascinating to follow from start to finish.

    Let’s start with Curtis Hanson’s directing. By the evidence of this film, Hanson is clearly a passionate fan of film-noir, but that’s what makes this such an impressive tribute to the genre. It’s got all the aesthetic touches from Venetian blinds to the blazing heat of the Los Angeles suburbs, but the fantastic attention to detail of the film means that the feel of film-noir goes even further than simply the aesthetics.

    Whilst the actual mystery of the film isn’t so stunning and unpredictable, the way that the cops go about solving it feels exactly like any classic noir movie. The great thing about L.A. Confidential is that it feels nothing like a modern cop drama, and watching the three lead detectives travel around Los Angeles questioning witnesses and suspects is what sets it apart, and that’s why this is such a great watch for anyone who loves classic film-noir.

    Moving on, the performances in this film are brilliant. It’s quite a wide ensemble cast, with a whole host of A-listers wherever you look, but everyone does a very good job right the way through. Guy Pearce is impressive as the rookie detective who has to go up against the corrupt allegiances of the LAPD, whilst Russell Crowe and Kevin Spacey give striking performances as the brutal ex-cop and corrupt celebrity buster respectively.

    Thanks to the collection of fantastic performances in this film, it’s often more exciting to learn about the personal lives of these characters than the actual mystery, and that’s where my main issue with the film comes in. As enthralling as the moments where we look at the various characters’ relationships and motivations were, I was never quite so gripped by a mystery that seemed pretty predictable from the outset.

    There’s still a lot of excitement to be had from L.A. Confidential, but I just felt it was missing a really great mystery for the viewer to try and solve along with the lead detectives. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed this fascinating tribute to film-noir, full of detail and passion in the directing and acting, and that’s why I’m giving L.A. Confidential an 8.0.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.3
    Review
    May 24, 20160

    1361. Closer (2004)

    8.8
    Review
    November 9, 20190

    2745. Marriage Story (2019)

    8.2
    Review
    June 2, 20160

    1370. A Separation (2011)

    8.0
    Review
    February 19, 20130

    58. Mission: Impossible (1996)

    9.3
    Review
    July 16, 20130

    224. Léon: The Professional (1994)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.