The neo-noir crime drama starring Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger and Danny DeVito, holds a near-perfect 99% Rotten Tomatoes score
The film has won huge praise(Image: Getty Images)
A groundbreaking crime drama featuring an impressive A-list ensemble and a near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes rating was based on a relatively obscure novel sharing its title.
Penned by James Ellroy, the book forms the third instalment of his LA quartet series and delves into the dark, corrupt underworld of Los Angeles life, with many believing it could never be successfully translated to cinema.
LA Confidential has established itself as a cult classic since hitting screens in 1997.
The neo-noir crime thriller boasts a cast list resembling Hollywood’s elite, with Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Bassinger and Danny DeVito leading the charge, and has received universal praise from critics and viewers alike ever since.
The story tracks three police officers – Detective Lieutenant Exley, played by Guy Pearce, the son of a murdered detective consumed by a thirst for revenge, Officer Wendell ‘Bud’ White, played by Russell Crowe, whose former colleague gets caught up in a scandal exposed by Exley, and Detective Sergeant Jack ‘Hollywood Jack’ Vincennes, played by Kevin Spacey, who is feeding insider information to tabloid editor Sid Hudgens, played by Danny DeVito, reports the Express.
The trio join forces to solve a mysterious murder at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop against the setting of the early 1950s.
Helmed by Curtis Hanson, LA Confidential became a massive success with both critics and audiences alike, securing nine Academy Award nominations and winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for Kim Basinger in her portrayal of high-class sex worker Lynn Bracken, as well as Best Screenplay.
The film also landed nominations for 12 BAFTAs and five Golden Globes, with Basinger again scooping the Best Supporting Actress prize.
On film review platform Rotten Tomatoes, LA Confidential holds an exceptional near-perfect rating of 99 per cent.
One reviewer 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.”
Viewers were similarly captivated by the production, proclaiming it “an instant classic”.
One fan 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 streaming on Amazon Prime now.
