Start to finish, one of the best movies I've ever seen.

Rating: Null/10 (5 February 2003)

Featuring an overflow of tremendous performances, a well-written screenplay and an exciting turn of events, "L.A. Confidential" may very well be the best detective/crime film of all time.
1950s Los Angeles is a city gripped by organized crime. And when reputed mob boss Mickey Cohen is imprisoned, a dangerous and mysterious battle begins amongst those who vie to replace him. Detective Lieutenant Edmund Exley (Guy Pearce), a rising (yet unpopular) young star in the L.A. police force, volunteers to investigate a grizzly multiple homicide at a local café, and ends up right smack in the middle of the crime war. With the aid of fellow officers like wise guy Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) and brutish Bud White (Russell Crowe), Exley sets a course to unravel the truth behind the mystery and settle the score...even if it means not playing by the rules.
Director Curtis Hanson ("Eight Mile") and writer Brian Helgeland ("Conspiracy Theory") combined their talents wonderfully to create a movie that is very fun and riveting, yet they avoided the rampant sensationalism that usually characterizes films of this genre. So the final product is realistic and believable, but at the same time, surprisingly exclusive of dull scenes and useless, boring chatter. Its success in this matter qualifies "L.A. Confidential" as an excellent "start-to-finish" film because it is enjoyable all the way through.
Despite its commendable writing, commanding performances given by a great group of actors (most of whom were just hitting their stride) make the film. Spacey plays the self-sustaining "Hollywood Cop" to perfection and Pearce is incredible in the lead (his performance in this movie rivals the one he gave in "Memento"). I consider this movie to be Russell Crowe's breakout performance--his thuggish yet sensitive role as Bud White was probably the film's most powerful, and may have set the course for some of his future casting. Kim Basinger won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as primo prostitute Lynn Bracken, and was quite deserving. Other strong performances were given by James Cromwell, Danny DeVito and David Strathairn.
"L.A. Confidential" is a classic in its time and a must-see for all movie fans who can expect to have a great time watching a great film.