Stylish 50's crime flick does everything right

Rating: 7/10 (4 July 2008)

Crime ala 50's is stylishly done by scripters, director and production designer alike. The flick looks great! Dante Spinotti's camera captures the action, sets and dapper outfits well.
The story is an involving, multi-layered one about an unexplained gangland killing, and two young cops who approach their jobs in very different ways. Scripters Brian Helgeland, Curtis Hanson and James Ellroy (from his novel) show skill in the way they unfold the plot and simultaneously introduce us to the principal characters, explaining their motivations along the way.
Hanson brings everything together very effectively, allowing the storyline to do most of the legwork, while using the intelligent players to full effect. He also gives the film a pleasing pace, and a near perfect length. Jerry Goldsmith adds a strong score.
An excellent cast put the icing on the cake. It's great to see Aussies Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe carrying a pic like this. Pearce is strong in bringing to the screen Ed Exley, the good cop whose incorruptible stance is much akin to Kevin Costner's "Eliot Ness" and Willem Dafoe's "Special Agent Ward" from "Mississippi Burning". Crowe is perhaps even better as rough house cop Wendell "Bud" White, who wholly convinces us he is a dangerous guy with a painful past. For mine, Crowe is the new Mel Gibson. Kevin Spacey is a delight as social climbing old boy Seargeant Jack Vincennes, and it's refreshing to see him in a more friendly role. Notable in support are James Cromwell as hardened Police Captain Dudley Smith and David Strathairn as a suspect entrepreneur. Good turns also from Danny De Vito and Kim Basinger.
Saturday, November 8, 1997 - Knox District Centre
Class act from director Hanson and a brilliant cast who all gobble each of their scenes with relish. Aussies Pearce and Crowe are both fantastic, and, at the risk of repeating myself, its great to see two lads from down under taking Hollywood by storm. Kevin Spacey is marvellous as the morally dubious Sargeant Jack Vincennes, and James Cromwell is a delight as the wise old captain to whom everybody looks for support. Kim Basinger and Danny De Vito are perfectly cast, while there is support from David Strathairn.
Jerry Goldsmith adds a score that solidifies the plot, which was creatively adapted from James Ellroy's novel by Brian Helgeland, director Curtis Hanson and Ellroy himself.
A real treat!
Saturday, August 22, 1998 - Video