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L.A. Confidential (1997)
Front Cover Actor
Kevin Spacey
Russell Crowe
Guy Pearce
James Cromwell
David Strathairn
Kim Basinger
Danny DeVito
Graham Beckel
Paul Guilfoyle (II)
Ron Rifkin
Movie Details
Director Curtis Hanson
Language English
Audience Rating R (Restricted)
Running Time 138 mins
Country USA
Color Color
Plot
In a time when it seems that every other movie makes some claim to being a film noir, L.A. Confidential is the real thing--a gritty, sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal, and corruption of all sorts (police, political, press--and, of course, very personal) in 1940s Hollywood. The Oscar-winning screenplay is actually based on several titles in James Ellroy's series of chronological thriller novels (including the title volume, The Big Nowhere, and White Jazz)--a compelling blend of L.A. history and pulp fiction that has earned it comparisons to the greatest of all Technicolor noir films, Chinatown. Kim Basinger richly deserved her Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a conflicted femme fatale; unfortunately, her male costars are so uniformly fine that they may have canceled each other out with the Academy voters: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, and James Cromwell play LAPD officers of varying stripes. Pearce's character is a particularly intriguing study in Hollywood amorality and ambition, a strait-laced "hero" (and son of a departmental legend) whose career goals outweigh all other moral, ethical, and legal considerations. If he's a good guy, it's only because he sees it as the quickest route to a promotion. --Jim Emerson
Personal Details
Seen It Yes
Index 453
Collection Status In Collection
Links Amazon US
Product Details
Format DVD
Region Region 1
Screen Ratio 2.35:1
UPC (Barcode) 085391491323
Release Date 4/21/1998
Subtitles English; French; Spanish
Nr of Disks/Tapes 1