You can watch this again and again and it still holds up!

Rating: 10/10 (21 December 2004)

This is really one of my all-time favourites: it came up on TV the other night so I watched it again.
The cast are exceptional: Russell Crowe is convincing as the psychotic but ultimately honest street cop; Guy Pearce is exactly nerdy enough; Kevin Spacey gives a note-perfect performance, and Kim Basinger was never better (or more beautiful). Danny De Vito effectively reprises his slime-ball act from Taxi (TV series), and the supporting players are consistently great.
The plot is cleverly-constructed and paced, and it's not until relatively close to the end that you get the final twist. The test of a great film for me is that you don't realise you've been watching it for 2 hours, because you are completely involved in the story - this movie is one of those. It's really difficult to find something wrong with it, and frankly I don't want to because it's just so good.
Thoroughly recommended (unless you're VERY squeamish)!