Amazing...

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2005)

One of the best films I've ever had the pleasure to see. As a fan of film noir this film entertained me perhaps more than it could people who aren't fans of the genre. The characters were handled brilliantly; at first we believe them all to be straight ahead characters: Ed Exley the slimy, but always clean cut, good guy, Bud White, a brutal thug who believes in violence as a way of stopping crime, and Jack Vincennes, a cop only there for the glamour. Eventually though, we see how their viewpoints change, and evidently, why they turned out the way they did. Aside from the characterisation of the film, the storyline itself astounded me. The many twists and turns came together at the end, leaving even the most tiny hint extremely important to anyone trying to work out the story. Overall, I loved this film for many reasons; the amazing story, the depth of the characters, the cinematography & music, which both conveyed a feeling of noir, the supporting cast (Danny DeVito, Kim Basinger, and James Cromwell were all great) and even, the small gleans of humour throughout, such as when Ed Exley confronts Johnny Stompanato and a Lana Turner look-a-like prostitute, only to find out, it actually is Lana Turner. The best film of the 90s, and one which cannot be recommended enough. If only more films had followed its lead...