A fantastic detective story

Rating: Null/10 (25 April 2003)

L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is an old fashioned noir detective story. It's got twists and turns and an engrossing plot all connected to a shooting in a coffee shop. Russell Crowe and Guy Pearce (relative unkowns in the states at the time) are both fantastic. And I always get a kick out of seeing an actor do their thing before they make it big, like these two aussies in this film or Colin Farrell in TIGERLAND. Kim 'Basinger gives a great performance as the Veronica Lake look-alike hooker. This is noteworthy because she is capable of being really bad at times, like her mysterious southern accent and over the top theatrics in 8 MILE. Kevin Spacey is also terrific as Jack Vincennes, a celebrity L.A. cop who's become a bit of a scumbag, but tries to atone for his actions and solve the mystery alongside Pearce, who's own ambition causes him to take misteps for which he must atone.
The rest of the cast is rounded out by a tremendous ensemble, including David Strathairn, James Cromwell, and Danny DeVito. If you haven't seen this movie, run out and buy it now. Don't rent it, buy it. Because once you see it, you won't want to return it. 10 out of 10.