L.A. Confidential (1997)

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  TheMovieDiorama

  9 / 10

  L.A. Confidential is noir crime executed to the highest standard. Well, I wasn't expecting that! I went in thinking it would be an overlong stylised drama with one or two scenes of detective work. Quite the reverse actually, it's entirety was an unsolved case. Three separate officers, each with their own motives, investigate separate aspects to a case which eventually interlink with each other. Let me just whip out the old crime checklist: Shootouts? Check. Detective work? Check. Corruption? Check. A plethora of twists and turns? Most definitely. The latter is what truly separates this from other similar crime stories, there are so many twists that are naturally executed. There isn't one moment where I thought "Oh, that was a coincidence!". All of these characters are fleshed out, each with a contrasting personality, where any decisions that are made just feel right. A serious straight rookie quickly climbing the ranks utilising his intellect. A tempered brute using his physicality to progress with the case. Then you have the suave experienced officer who uses his connections to get answers. Individually they work excellently, but as a unit? Even better. It plays out brilliantly because of Hanson's direction. Refreshingly switching between these officers and showcasing the 1950's L.A. lifestyle, he managed to create an environment that lives and breathes crime. One of the best casts I've seen from a 90's film. Crowe, Spacey, Cromwell and Pearce (arguably my favourite role of his) all brought grit and emotional captivation to their roles. The script is densely compact with development and taut pacing, although occasionally does dip. I did find Strathairn's character underused and didn't add much to the story. However, the focus is on the case, naturally including character development and thrills to make an outstanding crime thriller. I suspect this will eventually gain the perfect rating.

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