An absolutely superb film noir crime drama.

Rating: 9/10 (9 August 1999)

Everything about this film is superb. The story, direction, characters, acting and settings are all crisp and stunning. The performances by Russell Crowe, Guy Pierce, Kevin Spacey, James Cromwell, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito and David Strathairn are all excellent. Brian Helgelands's violent script adapted from James Ellroy's amazing novel is brilliant. And the direction by Curtis Hanson is stylish and brutal. Academy Awards deserved to be spread around the board for this one, but unfortunately, Helgeland's script and Basinger's performance were the only aspect awarded. (Two of the only awards Titanic didn't win that year). This film is unfairly compared to "Chinatown", but the only similarities between the two are the atmosphere and genre. "Chinatown" contains more complexities in thought and action while "LA Confidential" is dense in plot and character action. "LA Confidential" is a superbly well made motion picture and is a must-see for fans of crime drama. One of the elite in this genre.