Stars: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Kim Basinger, Danny De Vito, James Cromwell, David Strathairn, Guy Pearce

Director: Curtis Hanson

Summary: Smouldering thriller based on the novel by James Ellroy (THE BLACK DAHLIA) which tells the story of a corrupt and sleazy Los Angeles in the 1950s. With assured direction by Curtis Hanson (8 MILE) and career-defining performances from Guy Pearce and Russell Crowe, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL is a modern noir masterpiece.

Director Curtis Hanson captures the duality of 1950s Los Angeles in this striking film noir adaptation of James Ellroy's novel. The City of Angels might be sunny, inviting, and glamorous to the rest of the world, but it's also filled with corrupt cops, elegant hookers, murder cover-ups, and manipulative paparazzi, all of which are just the tip of the iceberg. It's impossible to know exactly who's trustworthy and who's not as three detectives (Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce) each use their own tactics to investigate a coffee-shop massacre.
Hanson and Brian Helgeland's script maintains the fragile framework of human relationships developed in the novel. The 45 locations used in shooting maintain the solid tone and integrity of the film, immersing the viewer in 1950s Los Angeles. The entire cast is first-rate, with compelling performances from Spacey, Crowe, Pearce, James Cromwell, Danny DeVito, Kim Basinger, and David Strathairn.

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In a time when it seems that every other movie makes some claim to being a film noir, LA Confidentialis the real thing--a gritty, sordid tale of sex, scandal, betrayal and corruption of all sorts (police, political, press--and, of course, very personal) in 1940s Hollywood. The Oscar-winning screenplay is actually based on several titles in James Ellroy's series of chronological thriller novels (including the title volume, The Big Nowhereand White Jazz)--a compelling blend of LA history and pulp fiction that has earned it comparisons to the greatest of all Technicolour noirfilms, Chinatown.

Kim Basinger richly deserved her Supporting Actress Oscar for her portrayal of a conflicted femme fatale; unfortunately, her male costars are so uniformly fine that they may have canceled each other out with the Academy voters: Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kevin Spacey and James Cromwell play LAPD officers of varying stripes. Pearce's character is a particularly intriguing study in Hollywood amorality and ambition, a strait-laced "hero" (and son of a departmental legend) whose career goals outweigh all other moral, ethical and legal considerations. If he's a good guy, it's only because he sees it as the quickest route to a promotion. --Jim Emerson

Aspect Ratio:	2.35 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Special Features:	Interactive Menus, Production Notes, Scene Access, Music Only Soundtrack, TV Spots, Three Featurettes
Subtitles:	Arabic, Dutch, English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
Year:	1997
Release Date:	December 1, 1998
Runtime:	132 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 014913
Label:	Regency
Keywords:	Action, General, Confidential, La, Thriller, Adventure
Genre:	Action/Adventure