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James Cromwell, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce and Kevin Spacey in L.A. Confidential (Image: Rex)
A genre-defining crime drama boasting a stellar A-list cast and a near-flawless Rotten Tomatoes score was inspired by a little-known novel of the same name.
Wrriten by James Ellroy, the book is the third instalment in his LA quartet series and delves into the seedy underbelly of life in Los Angeles, with many believing it was impossible to bring to the big screen.
LA Confidential has firmly established itself as a cult classic since its release in 1997.
The neo-noir crime thriller features a cast list that reads like a who’s who of Hollywood royalty, starring Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Bassinger and Danny DeVito, and has earned widespread praise from critics and audiences alike ever since.
The film centres on three police officers – Detective Lieutenant Exley, portrayed by Guy Pearce, the son of a slain detective driven by a burning desire for vengeance, Officer Wendell ‘Bud’ White, portrayed by Russell Crowe, whose former partner becomes caught up in a scandal unearthed by Exley, and Detective Sergeant Jack ‘Hollywood Jack’ Vincennes, portrayed by Kevin Spacey, who is leaking confidential information to tabloid editor Sid Hudgens, portrayed by Danny DeVito.
The film has won huge praise (Image: Getty Images)
The trio join forces to crack an unsolved killing at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop, set against the backdrop of the early 1950s.
Directed by Curtis Hanson, LA Confidential proved a resounding triumph both critically and commercially, securing nine Academy Award nominations and claiming the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Kim Basinger in her role as high-class sex worker Lynn Bracken, alongside Best Screenplay.
The film also garnered nominations for 12 BAFTAs and five Golden Globes, with Basinger once more taking home the Best Supporting Actress prize.
On the film review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes, LA Confidential boasts a rare near-perfect score of 99 per cent.
Kim Basinger as Lynn Bracken in LA Confidential (Image: REX FEATURES)
One critic said: “The flawless ensemble…, the masterfully written story, the vibrant yet gritty vision of 1950s LA – most everything clicks in this fittingly cynical and undeniably seductive period crime thriller that still maintains its style and sizzle.”
Another added: “Adapted from a novel said to be unadaptable and set in a genre that has seemed increasingly played out, it brings clarity and life to its art and to life. That’s a pretty good definition of a masterpiece, isn’t it?”
While a third wrote: “L.A. Confidential glistens like a new car, but has the darkened soul of the best film noir in which good men are tempted by bad ideas. This is one of the year’s best films, the thinking person’s detective story.”
Audiences proved equally captivated by the film, declaring it “an instant classic”. One viewer said: “L.A. Confidential is, without a doubt, the best film of the ’90s, and one of the best films ever made. Curtis Hanson was a much better director than Speilberg or Tarantino. Great script, the story is riveting, the dialogue is smart and funny, and the characters are written in three if not four dimensions. One can almost forgive the casting of DeVito, who did a good job. There should have been several sequels.”
Another added: “L.A. Confidential is an incredibly well-acted crime thriller film. It’s rare for a movie to be this well cast, acted, and directed. Director Curtis Hanson plays the audience like a piano with the story and every single frame of the movie, leaving the audience engaged and wanting to know what happens next.”
While a third wrote: “This cast couldn’t be more perfectly cast as Guy Pearce plays the straight man Exley exceptionally well as we see how his penchant for doing the right thing makes him a target for the rest of the cops even as he begins to uncover how far the corruption in this town goes, but Russell Crowe as Bud White is amazing and definitely should’ve gotten a nomination for Best Supporting Actor as he is a rage-fueled cop who has some very shady ways about him but at heart is a good cop with a disdain for men who abuse women.
“This makes him a perfect counter to Kim Basinger’s Lynn Brackens who ended up winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this film as the classic femme fatale character.”
LA Confidential is available to stream on Amazon Prime right now.
