A classy tribute to the "film noir" genre!

Rating: Null/10 (26 December 1998)

Detective Jack Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) is a dedicated police officer who's more than happy to go that extra mile to solve the case. Det. Bud White (Russell Crowe) is another tough police detective who's very temperamental but nonetheless gets the job done. Lt. Ed Exley (Guy Pearce), who was recently promoted to his current position for going beyond the call of duty tends to keep a cooler composure...
A recent bloody massacre at a popular diner has left six people dead...among them is a fellow police officer and local friend of Det. White. Determined to bring justice to the killers, the L.A.P.D. has launched an investigation into finding out who the culprits are. Detective White, forgetting about his discipline and mentality, has resorted to excessive force and violence out of his suspects in order to elicit a few answers...
Interloping with the entire case is Captain Dudley Smith (James Cromwell), an aggressive Police Captain who keeps track of the progress of the individual cops. Meanwhile, a beautiful woman named Lynn Bracken (Kim Basinger) has entered into the lives of both Detective White and Lt. Exley. Who is she? What are her motives and what does she want? As a heart throbbing mistress, Bracken though may hold the solutions to this entire predicament...
At the "Hush Hush" news center, reporter Sid Hudgeons (Danny DeVito) spouts wisecracks as he takes lots of pictures, blackmailing many well-known politicians hanging around with prostitutes. As Detectives White, Vincennes and Lt. Exley get closer and deeper into the case involving the deaths of six people, their badges...and lives have been endangered...and their trust amongst each other is put to a grave testament...
Mendacious and corrupt authorities plan to "hush hush" these unwonted scrutinizing on the department itself by whatever means they deem necessary...
A classy tribute to the film noir genres of the 1930s and 40s. L.A. Confidential captures the characteristics of a classic film noir by utilizing several elements including flashbacks, unusual camera angles, and three-dimensional figures. L.A. Confidential makes its mark as a competently structured motion picture, jolting the audiences with complex plot twists, and catapulting its way into earning a plethora of extols and admiration from film critics and aficionados alike.
A talented, first-rate cast adds credence to a masterfully crafted film. L.A. Confidential deserves every form of encomium for being a slick, perceptively directed masterpiece with overtones of drama, action, and plenty of suspense. Confident performances from the easily provoked Crowe to the seductive Basinger and the always wily DeVito help propel L.A. Confidential into becoming one of the grandest films of 1997.
A poignant thriller for the fecund mind, L.A. Confidential is full of surprises jumping from left to right. This film will make the audiences think, and as well, it will shock people with unexpected consequences. L.A. Confidential sustains a good amount of respect for both its characters and audiences involved in this movie. This film eventually culminates to an explosive shoot-out by the end!
As a movie, L.A. Confidential succeeds greatly in manipulating the audience, letting them gather all of the clues before they can make any premature and wrongly conclusions. L.A. Confidential is highly recommended for those with an inclination towards intelligent thrillers without being too lethargic. As a feature film in general, L.A. Confidential embraces audiences with a stylish aura. In addition to a great plot and a strong concentration of character development, L.A. Confidential audaciously re-creates a realistic look of the past 1950s view of Hollywood. A sly, jocular sense of humor also increases this film's credibility.
If ever there was a fault found in L.A. Confidential, than perhaps it's the fact that the film's plot may be quite difficult to comprehend! Don't worry though, the film weaves together all the seemingly unrelated events together by the end as one coherent whole!
A refreshing break from the monotonous, big-bang extravaganzas, L.A. Confidential deserves to be a blockbuster in its own right. A must-see for all and a praiseworthy film, all the way!
RATING: ***1/2 out of ****.