Neo-Noir At Its Best! My Favourite One.

Rating: 10/10 (11 June 2015)

This is my favourite neo-noir film. I think this is the best because it has the 1950s look and vibe in which regular noir films actually were. The general look of this film was only rivalled by Titanic in 1997, in which both films were dead-on in capturing the looks of their respective time periods. This was most critics' favourite movie of the year. I understand why.
LA Confidential is a confusing movie that takes several watches before fully understanding it. When you finally do get the full understanding, it certainly feels good. It is about three very different cops in the City of Angels (Spacey, Crowe, Pearce) that investigate a brutal massacre at a coffee shop called "Nite Owl" as well as a void being let open by now imprisoned mobster Mickey Cohen (Paul Guilfoyle). What they discover are corruption. scandals, lies and betrayals along the way.
Kevin Spacey gets top billing which is false advertising since he is more of a minor character. He was the best-known actor at the time while Pearce and Crowe were relatively unknowns. But that's not a big deal. The movie's general plot and subplots are all super complex and are character-driven which is great. Spacey plays Jack Vincennes who loves the spotlight shining on him and wishes for all the publicity he can get. He has ties with Sid Hudgens (DeVito) of Hush Hush magazine which helps both of them get what they want. Jack uncovers some drugs before the killings.
Russell Crowe plays Bud White who is merciless and fierce, especially toward violence against women. He discovers a ring of high-level hookers made over to look like movie stars and falls for a Veronica Lake look-alike (Basinger).
Guy Pearce plays Ed Exley who is straight-laced and wants to live up to his father's legacy. He tries to be the voice of reason before and after the massacre, as he is careful and smart about how he undertakes everything. Each men have their own separate paths than intertwine and make them better.
The story constantly unfolds and swerves in such fascinating and bizarre ways. it is the best feeling in the world when you come to understand each character and each story to a full 100%. The stories and characters in this have rarely been touched in noir or movies in general. Aside from the stories and characters, the look of this movie added onto the script is what makes this my favourite neo-noir movie. The costumes, set pieces, lighting, everything from 1940s and 1950s film noir are captured to the fullest in this. Other neo-noir movies like The Usual Suspects are not as flashy or brilliantly constructed than LA Confidential.
4/4