Brilliant

Rating: 10/10 (9 March 2005)

I usually refrain from reviewing films on IMDb unless I feel very passionately about them and believe that I need to voice my opinion. This can apply to both films that I loved or despised. Either way, I see no point in reviewing a mediocre film that I forget about the second I step out of the theatre. With that having been said, L.A. Confidential is nothing short of perfection. As with any great film everything starts with the screenplay which in this case was written by Brian Helgeland and Curtis Henson, the latter of which was also the director. The script was adapted from a novel by James Ellroy that I'm ashamed to say I haven't read. However, I have heard that many believed it to be an impossible task to adapt the novel into a film. That makes the screenplay of Helgeland and Henson all the more impressive. An equally daunting task for a great film is to assemble a top notch cast. Once again, L.A. Confidential hits the mark with one of the most impressive casts in recent film history. Russell Crowe, Kevin Spacey, Kim Basinger (who received an Oscar for her role), Guy Pearce, James Cromwell, and Danny DeVito comprise the absolutely top class cast of the film. Yet in my opinion, all of the aforementioned aspects of the film are not even the best part. The best part has to be the absolutely tremendous set designs, costumes, and general recreation of 1950's Hollywood culture. I feel that this was an amazing time and place in American history, and this film takes the audience there. One of the best scenes in L.A. Confidential involves two of the main characters running into a Hollywood starlet who they believe is a fake. What I love about this scene is how subtly the director reminds us that this isn't just any place in America, this is 1950's Hollywood where huge stars like Lana Turner can be found socializing with a member of the mob at a local hot spot. That is the beauty of this film. You feel like you're watching a 1950's film noir through a 1990's camera lens.
If you're taking the time to read my review, you're probably wondering why I haven't discussed the plot of the film. The answer to this question is simple, there is really no need. All you have to know is that it's a brilliant film that you should watch no matter what genre of movies you are into. This is in my opinion one of the top ten movies of the last decade and easily the best picture of 1997. Ironically, it lost the Best Picture Oscar that year to Titanic which I feel was the greatest oversight in recent Oscar history. This is a one of a kind film, the likes of which I'm afraid we won't see for a long time to come, if ever. Lastly, if you have not yet seen L.A. Confidential I hope that my review inspires you to do so. Conversely, if you have already experienced it I hope that you are reminded, if only for a brief moment, of what great film making truly is.