L.A. Confidential (1997) Dir: Curtis Hanson
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Curtis Hanson's 1997 crime film, based on the novel by James Ellroy, is one of particular intrigue and quality, thanks to a very well-constructed, mysterious story, as well as the fantastic performances of its three leading men.
Said-intricate story builds particularly well in the last 45 minutes, through the third act and into the final climactic throws of the film. The twist was, admittedly, a little predictable - at least to me. That said, it worked well and it wasn't nonsensical or anything, which are always the worst twists.
Guy Pierce has moments in which he is phenomenal as the film's lead, but also a couple where I was marginally disappointed that he didn't show even more of his acting capabilities.
Russell Crowe provides an excellent foilistic character for Pierce to work off, and, in my view, out-does him. Crowe was fantastic, and encapsulated the gritty elements of the film perfectly.
I hate talking about Kevin Spacey, but when it comes to 90s and 00s cinema, he so often appears that it's unavoidable. Even more hatable is how good an actor he is, because, as usual, he is very good here.
James Cromwell could have been a lot more memorable than he ended up being, although it is worth saying that he wasn't unexceptional by any means, but he failed to live up to his character's potential.
The film also features solid performances from Kim Basinger and, of all people, Danny Devito, both in supporting roles.
Overall, this was a classic crime thriller that had me invested for the whole two hours, through a keenly written story and some phenomenal acting performances.
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