Neo Noir

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2010)

Ihe early 1950s, the L.A. police department, rampant with corruption, tackles the sleazy underbelly of the city. The film focuses on three different types of cops played by Spacey, Crowe, and Pearce, and all three actors turn in fine performances, along with Basinger, who won an Oscar for playing a prostitute who's a Veronica Lake look-alike. The set pieces and cinematography effectively evoke the period. It recalls the great film noirs of the 1940s. And like some of those classics ("The Big Sleep," for instance), the plot is a bit too convoluted, although everything eventually becomes clear. Mainly, however, it's about the ambiance, and the film succeeds in capturing a mood.