A Masterful Mystery Adventure

Rating: 8/10 (25 July 2012)

James Ellroy's best-selling mystery has now been brought to the big screen and is one of the finest mysteries in cinematic history. The story follows three 1950s detectives in the legendary Los Angeles Police Department so completely different from one another; first is Sergeant Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey, 2 time Academy Award winner), the technical adviser on 'Badge of Honor' and a Narcotics Officer, but accepts bribes from 'Hush-Hush Magazine' writer Sid Hudgens (Danny DeVito). Next is Officer Wendell 'Bud' White (Russell Crowe in his first US film), a troubled man with a vendetta against wife-beaters due to a traumatizing event from his past where his mother was beaten to death by White's drunken father. Lastly is the young and ambitious Detective Lieutenant Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce also in his US debut), a young man following in the footsteps of his late father whose dedication to justice clouds his vision to what is about to unravel. The film also stars Kim Basinger (in an Oscar winning role)and James Cromwell. After a nighttime massacre claims one of the department's own, the three men are drawn together into the mystery involving murder, greed, prostitution and drugs. 'L.A. Confidential' is my all time favorite police film drama with its complicated plot line, complex characters, the intense cast and the cast's performances to bring the mystery close to the light, but the twists are numerous and the ultimate conclusion will startle the viewer.