High-Tech LA Confidential

Rating: 8/10 (27 June 2002)

Greetings again from the darkness. I have waited a few days to write so as to make sure I write fairly. The highly anticipated Speilberg/Cruise collaboration is extradorinarily entertaining and fascinating. I would love to give this a 9 or 10, but the overall lack of character development prevented perfection. Speilbergs absolute best always offered full characters - if you doubt me, go see "Jaws" again. My only negative for the film is the HUGE cast with only one real character (Cruise) and some brief insight provided by Tim Blake Nelson ("O Brother, Where Art Thou") and veteran Jessica Harper as Anne Lively. The high-tech gadgetry is eye candy and very well utilized for the story. If anything, Speilberg held the reins on what could have been done in order to make us believe this is 50 years forward. The opening sequence is unlike anything ever done on film. Watching Cruise and his faceless army pursue Arye Gross BEFORE he commits the murder (his wife is played by Ashley Crow - the mom in "Little Big League") made me nervous and uncomfortable. Wonderful cinematography by Speilberg regular Janusz Kaminski and a subtle and powerful score by the incomparable John Williams add more dimension to the movie. Be sure to stay for the credits and enjoy the Williams piece playing over the first half of the credits. It is outstanding! Overall a wonderful movie experience, I just wish there was a more human element to the script. By the way, does anyone see the similarities to the general story structure with "LA Confidential"?