L.A.Confidential
Director: Curtis Hanson.
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, James Cromwell,
David Strathairn, Kim Basinger, Danny DeVito.
L.A.Confidential charts the course of three L.A. police officers in
the 50s in the City of Angels when corruption and organised crime was
rife. Our protagonists, Jack Vincennes (Mr. Kevin Spacey), Bud
White (Mr. Russell Crowe) and Ed Exley (Mr. Guy Pearce) are all flawed
men trying to live up to some sense of decency within an unscrupulous
organisation. Lynn Bracken (Ms. Kim Basinger) is the hooker with the
heart of gold.
For the most part, this noir-ish film is of a very high quality. The
acting, the set-up, the scenes, the pacing all make for a very good
movie. It's not all roses, however, with a few minor flaws and one
major failing.
Mr. Russell Crowe and Mr. Kevin Spacey give stellar performances, not
surprising given their previous work. As the dumb muscle who may be,
perhaps, not quite so dumb, Mr. Crowe finds just the right tone to
make Bud White understandable if not sympathetic. Mr. Spacey's turn
as a man obsessed with Hollywood, television and image possibly at the
expense of integrity is superb. His swagger, his every movement is a
joy to behold. As the earnest young cop, Mr. Pearce is less
successful. His early attempts at a steely grimace brought instantly
to mind Billy from Melrose Place. He does, however, warm to the role
with the soap opera facial expressions disappearing as his character
develops more depth.
Ms. Basinger's role of Lynn Bracken is the least satisfying of all the
leads but this
is probably due to the nature of the part: just what can one do with
the part of the simple country girl who goes to L.A. for a life of
glory only to end up as a hooker? Downright confusing are her
interactions with Ed Exley. They have three scenes together, none of
which seems to follow from the previous one. These are minor
quibbles, though; overall, the acting is well done.
Of a more worrying nature is the plot. Given my charter,
I'll try not to give anything away other than to say that the basic
plot was disappointing. With such a stylish movie and such good
performances, I would have liked to have seen a cleverer story-line.
Ultimately this lets the movie down, particularly as it sends the
viewer (well, this viewer, at least) away slightly dissatisfied. It's
like smelling a great barbecue all afternoon and being served a burnt
steak for dinner.
Rating: CR
© Nikki Lesley 1997